Shared image device resolution transformation

ABSTRACT

A mechanism or technique able to convert the resolution of at least a portion of an image at least partially at a shared image device, and the shared image device can share the at least the portion of the image.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to, claims the earliest availableeffective filing date(s) from (e.g., claims earliest available prioritydates for other than provisional patent applications; claims benefitsunder 35 USC § 119(e) for provisional patent applications), andincorporates by reference in its entirety all subject matter of thefollowing listed application(s) (the “Related Applications”) to theextent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith; the presentapplication also claims the earliest available effective filing date(s)from, and also incorporates by reference in its entirety all subjectmatter of any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc.applications of the Related Application(s) to the extent such subjectmatter is not inconsistent herewith. The United States Patent Office(USPTO) has published a notice to the effect that the USPTO's computerprograms require that patent applicants reference both a serial numberand indicate whether an application is a continuation or continuation inpart. (see CITATION). The present applicant entity has provided below aspecific reference to the application(s)from which priority is beingclaimed as recited by statute. Applicant entity understands that thestatute is unambiguous in its specific reference language and does notrequire either a serial number or any characterization such as“continuation” or “continuation-in-part.” Notwithstanding the foregoing,applicant entity understands that the USPTO's computer programs havecertain data entry requirements, and hence applicant entity isdesignating the present application as a continuation in part of itsparent applications, but expressly points out that such designations arenot to be construed in any way as any type of commentary and/oradmission as to whether or not the present application contains any newmatter in addition to the matter of its parent application(s).

-   1. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/048,644, entitled SHARED    IMAGE DEVICES, naming Edward K. Y. Jung; Royce A. Levien; Robert W.    Lord; Mark A. Malamud and John D. Rinaldo, Jr. as inventors, filed    Jan. 31, 2005.-   2. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/048,629, entitled VIEWFINDER    FOR SHARED IMAGE DEVICE, naming Edward K. Y. Jung; Royce A. Levien;    Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud and John D. Rinaldo, Jr. as    inventors, filed Feb. 1, 2005.-   3. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/064,787, entitled STORAGE    ASPECTS FOR IMAGING DEVICE, naming Edward K. Y. Jung; Royce A.    Levien; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud and John D. Rinaldo, Jr. as    inventors, filed Feb. 23, 2005.-   4. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/069,909, entitled SHARING    INCLUDING PERIPHERAL SHARED IMAGE DEVICES, naming Edward K. Y. Jung;    Royce A. Levien; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud and John D.    Rinaldo, Jr. as inventors, filed Feb. 28, 2005.-   5. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/089,530, entitled PERIPHERAL    SHARED IMAGE DEVICE SHARING, naming Edward K. Y. Jung; Royce A.    Levien; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud and John D. Rinaldo, Jr. as    inventors, filed Mar. 23, 2005.-   6. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/095,768, entitled IMAGE    TRANSFORMATION ESTIMATOR OF AN IMAGING DEVICE, naming Edward K. Y.    Jung; Royce A. Levien; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud and John D.    Rinaldo, Jr. as inventors, filed Mar. 30, 2005.-   7. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/115,078, entitled PROXIMITY    OF SHARED IMAGE DEVICES, naming Edward K. Y. Jung; Royce A. Levien;    Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud and John D. Rinaldo, Jr. as    inventors, filed Apr. 26, 2005.-   8. United States patent application number not yet assigned,    entitled REGIONAL PROXIMITY FOR SHARED IMAGE DEVICE(S) naming    Edward K. Y. Jung; Royce A. Levien; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud    and John D. Rinaldo, Jr. as inventors, filed May 4, 2005.

The present application relates, in general, to sharing mechanisms thatallow sharing of images between multiple devices.

In one aspect, a method includes, but is not limited to, processingimage information at least partially at a shared image device to atleast partially derive processed image information, wherein the imageinformation corresponds to, but has a different resolution than, theprocessed image information; and transmitting the processed imageinformation from the shared image device to effect sharing the processedimage information. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspectsare described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of thepresent application.

In one aspect, a method includes, but is not limited to, receiving atleast some shared image information at a shared image device; andprocessing the at least some shared image information at least partiallyat the shared image device to derive at least some processed sharedimage information that corresponds to, but has a different resolutionthan, the at least some shared image information. In addition to theforegoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings,and text forming a part of the present application.

In one aspect, a first shared image device includes, but is not limitedto, an image capture portion configurable to capture at least a portionof an at least one image; a resolution conversion portion configurableto convert a resolution of the at least the portion of the at least oneimage; and a sharing portion configurable to transfer the at least theportion of the at least one image at the first shared image device withrespect to a second shared image device. In addition to the foregoing,other first shared image device aspects are described in the claims,drawings, and text forming a part of the present application.

In one aspect, a system includes, but is not limited to, means forconverting the resolution of at least a portion of an image at leastpartially at a shared image device; and

means for transferring the at least the portion of the image at theshared image device with respect to at least one other shared imagedevice. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are describedin the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the presentapplication.

In one or more various aspects, related apparatus and systems includebut are not limited to circuitry and/or programming for effecting theherein-referenced method aspects; the circuitry and/or programming canbe virtually any combination of hardware, software, electromechanicalsystem, and/or firmware configured to effect the herein-referencedmethod aspects depending upon the design choices of the system designer.

In addition to the foregoing, various other method and/or system aspectsare set forth and described in the text (e.g., claims and/or detaileddescription) and/or drawings of the present application.

The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity,simplifications, generalizations and omissions of detail; consequently,those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary isillustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Otheraspects, features, and advantages of the devices and/or processes and/orother subject matter described herein will become apparent in the textset forth herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a shared imagenetwork including a plurality of shared image devices;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the sharedimage network that includes a plurality of shared image devices;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of yet another embodiment of the sharedimage network that includes a plurality of shared image devices;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of yet another embodiment of theplurality of shared image network that includes a plurality of sharedimage devices;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram including one embodiment of a shared imagedevice;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram including another embodiment of the sharedimage device;

FIG. 7 is a front view of one embodiment of a shared image system thatincludes one embodiment of an energy level indicator;

FIG. 8 is the front view of another embodiment of a shared image systemthat includes another embodiment of an energy level indicator;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a resolutionconversion technique that increases resolution;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a resolutionconversion technique that decreases resolution;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of yet another embodiment of a resolutionconversion technique that increases resolution;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of yet another embodiment of the sharedimage device;

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of yet another embodiment of the sharedimage device;

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of yet another embodiment of the sharedimage device;

FIG. 15 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of acomputer/controller that may be used as a portion of a sharingmechanism; h

FIG. 16 shows a generalized front view of one embodiment of a viewfinderor display that can be integrated in a shared image device;

FIGS. 17 a and 17 b is a flowchart of one embodiment of a resolutionconversion energy technique;

FIGS. 18 a and 18 b is a flowchart of one embodiment of a resolutionconversion technique;

FIGS. 19 a and 19 b is a flowchart of an embodiment of a resolutionconversion mechanism;

FIG. 20 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of multiple shared imagedevices including at least one peripheral shared image device;

FIG. 21 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of a shared image devicemechanism including a resolution transforming portion;

FIG. 22 shows a front view of one embodiment of the viewfinder;

FIG. 23 shows a front view of another embodiment of the viewfinder;

FIG. 24 shows a front view of yet another embodiment of the viewfinder;

FIG. 25 shows a front view of still another embodiment of theviewfinder;

FIG. 26 shows a front view of yet another embodiment of the viewfinder;

FIG. 27 shows a front view of yet another embodiment of viewfinder wherean image that is being currently captured is being integrated into anumber of previously-captured images and

FIG. 28 shows one embodiment of a sharing menu display that acts as aportion of a sharing mechanism.

The use of the same symbols in different drawings typically indicatessimilar or identical items.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure describes a number of embodiments of a shared imagenetwork 100 that can include one or more sharing mechanism 102, suchthat at least one sharing mechanism 102 can be integrated in, and/orutilized by, at least one shared image device 101. Different embodimentsof the shared image network 100 are described with respect to FIGS. 1,2, 3, and 4. Certain embodiments of the shared image devices can capturean image and can be visualized as taking or imaging a photograph incertain embodiments. The present disclosure provides a number of thesesharing mechanisms 102 by which the shared images can be shared orcopied, and can either be transferred to other capturing shared imagedevices and/or other non-capturing shared image devices. In thisdisclosure, the term “capture” can apply to either imaging,photographing, or otherwise generating or producing shared images orportions thereof. Different embodiments of the shared image devices 101can each perform one or more processes including, but not limited tocapturing, creating, processing, storing, printing, transferring,obtaining, retaining, displaying, and/or receiving the shared images.Different embodiments of the shared images can be configurable as stillimages and/or motion images (e.g., moving pictures). Many embodiments ofthe sharing mechanism 102 can be integrated between one or more sharedimage device 101.

Within the disclosure, certain embodiments of the shared image devices101, such as digital cameras, camcorders, etc. that can capture sharedimage information are referred to as “capturing shared image devices”,which is distinct from those shared image devices 101 that cannotcapture shared image information. The capturing shared image devicessuch as digital cameras, still-picture cameras, motion picture cameras,or camcorders can be applied to photography. Many shared image devicesthat cannot capture images can be referred to within this disclosure as“peripheral shared image devices” since they perform such peripheralactions as storing, saving, store and forwarding, displaying, projectingand/or otherwise processing data associated with images.

This disclosure provides a number of embodiments of mechanisms by whicha resolution of one or more shared images contained in a shared imagedevice 101 (configured either as a capturing shared image device and/orperipheral shared image device) can be varied. As such, in certainembodiments of the shared image devices that contain the shared imageshaving different resolutions, but not others, one or more of the sharedimage devices can have their shared images transferred therebetweenfollowing the change of resolution. In addition, certain embodiments ofshared image devices may be capable of having multiple versions of oneor more images, multiple one of which have different resolutions,depending upon their purpose and/or the particular configuration of theshared image device(s). For example, if the particular shared imagedevices such as a camera or camcorder is being utilized at a child'sbirthday party, then it may be desirable to have one of the shared imagedevices configured as a computer, and/or act as a camera-server tocontain high-resolution versions of all of the shared image devicesoccurring during that session. By comparison, other shared image devicesmay be configured as a capturing shared image device, which may containonly high-resolution images taken by that camera, and relativelylow-resolution images taken by other cameras to, for example, allow moreimages to be taken or processed. If it is desired for a particularcapturing shared image device to download high-resolution versions ofimages, then in certain instances but not others, higher-resolutionversions of the images can be downloaded from, for example, anothercamera-server that is storing the higher-resolution images.

By providing such ability of the shared image devices to download orupload different-resolution versions of one or more images, it allowsthe shared image network 100 to share images of different resolutions,and/or different-resolution versions of the same images therebetween.

In certain embodiments, but not others, peripheral shared image devicescan exercise a certain amount of control over capturing shared imagedevices. For example, the peripheral shared image device can transmitmetadata and/or other image information to the capturing shared imagedevices to indicate, for example, to capture one or more images of aparticular subject, zoom, color intensity, resolution, etc.Additionally, in certain embodiments but not others, shared images canbe transmitted from a peripheral shared image device to a capturingshared image device. For example, the peripheral shared image device canbe configured to store a large number of images that can be returned toone or more capturing shared image devices upon their request.

In certain embodiments while not others, as described within thisdisclosure, certain peripheral share image devices can transmit at leastsome device operation information that can be received by at least oneshared image device. The device operation information can be used tovary the operational characteristics of the at least one shared imagedevice. Illustrative examples of operational characteristics of sharedimage devices that can be varied based on the transmission of the deviceoperation information from the peripheral shared image device caninclude, but is not limited to operating a shutter mechanism, selectinga location of an image, operating a zoom, and/or focusing the capturingshared image device. As such, transmitting at least some deviceoperation information from a peripheral shared image device to at leastone capturing shared image device can effectively alter an operation ofthe at least one capturing shared image device. In this manner, thetransmitting at least some device operation information can affect somecontrol of the peripheral shared image device over the operation of theat least one capturing shared image device.

In certain instances, at least one shared image device can be configuredto transmit a captured shared image information, at least partiallybased on instructions and/or other image information, from theperipheral shared image device to the at least one other shared imagedevice. In other instances, at least one shared image device can beconfigured to receive either stored shared images and/or shared images.As such, the peripheral shared image device in combination with the atleast one shared image device (that can capture, or contain, sharedinformation) can, in certain embodiments, alone or in combination,provide a system by which a user, mechanism, or controller at theperipheral shared image device can determine image(s) that are to betransmitted from the at least one shared image device to the peripheralshared image device. For instance, one embodiment including a number ofshared image devices may utilize multiple sharing users that are sharingmultiple shared images. In one embodiment of the sharing mechanism 102but not others, the peripheral shared image device can transmit arequest for particular images from a particular user, pertaining to aparticular subject, including images of a particular colorcharacteristic, or including particular metadata, etc. As such, theperipheral shared image device can effectively transmit a query to oneor more capturing shared image devices to return a particular image thatmay or may not have been captured. Such a query can be responded tousing appropriate recognition programs, and the suitable image(s) can bereturned to the peripheral shared image device as desired or in anappropriate order to be processed, displayed, analyzed, retained,obtained, and/or projected as appropriate for that particular sharedimage device. For instance, one or more members of a sharing session, orother individuals, can view multiple images being projected, displayed,printed, retained, etc. by a number of capturing shared image devicesthat are transmitting certain ones of their shared images to aperipheral shared image device.

Within the disclosure, the terms shared image(s), image(s), imagerepresentation(s), image(s), or image information each pertain to fullimages, portions of images, segments of full images, magnified images,reduced resolution images, thumbnails of images, information thatdescribes particular images such as metadata. Metadata can contain suchinformation as the subject of the image, identifying who took the image,image location, the reference number of the image, etc. Within thisdisclosure, the terms “image representation” or “image” can pertain(among other things) to images, thumbnails of images, icons that pertainto images, portions of images, images having altered resolution,information pertaining to images such as metadata, etc. The term“obtain” applies to obtaining shared images either by capturing or bydata transfer from another shared image device. The term “retain”applies to storing shared images for some duration regardless howtemporary or permanent the storage. In this disclosure, the term“broadcast” can apply to one or more of transmitting a shared image fromone shared image device in a manner such that the signal can be receivedby at least one (and usually multiple) other shared image device;transmitting to all other shared image devices, to all other sharedimage devices in the enrolled in a sharing session, or transmitting toonly certain selected shared image devices. Broadcast can also apply totransmitting to shared image devices arranged in a general network, amaster-satellite, a server-satellite, a peer-to-peer or point-to-point(alternatively, P2P) network configuration, or another networkconfiguration, certain ones of which are as described in thisdisclosure. The terms “shared image devices” or “cameras” apply to suchdissimilar devices as digital cameras, video cameras, and/or camcorders.The shared image device can capture certain embodiments of still imagesincluding, but not limited to, photographs or digital images. Certainembodiments of shared image devices such as a camcorder or motionpicture video camera can capture motion images such as videos. Theshared image devices can integrate a sharing mechanism to eithercapture, obtain, retain, store, or transfer such shared images. Avariety of embodiments of the sharing mechanism can therefore capture orotherwise process, retain, or obtain such exemplary shared images asdigital still images or digital motion images that are provided eitheralone or in combination with video, audio, music, etc.

Examples of shared image devices 101 that are not configurable tocapture shared image information can include certain laptop computers,desktop computers, portable image store and display devices, digitalvideo disk (DVD) devices, personal display assistants (PDA), printers,compact disk (CD) drives, IPods (a trademark of Apple Computers), etc.Certain embodiments of portable image store and display devices can beconfigurable to utilize peer-to-peer communications, and may be capableof transferring shared images there between. Certain embodiments of theshared image devices that cannot capture shared image informationoperate largely to retain, obtain, store, process, and/or display sharedimages.

In different embodiments, the sharing mechanism can be configurable toprovide a largely automated publishing function between multiple sharedimage devices. Certain shared image(s) that are captured by a sharedimage device can be distributed or transmitted to, and/or received by,other shared image devices, and thereby be “published” and made public(and therefore can be considered to be no longer private). Oneembodiment of the sharing mechanism 102 allows the shared image device101 to toggle on/off publishing of the shared images to switch betweenthe images being public and private. In certain embodiments, suchpublishing can be automatically set for a prescribed duration such astemporally or more permanently defined by a “sharing session”, afterwhich duration the shared image devices each returns to theirnon-sharing configuration. In other embodiments, the sharing session canbe permanent or have a lengthy duration.

Certain embodiments of the shared image device 101 that include at leasta portion of the sharing mechanism 102 can be modifiable to provide avariety of functions. Many embodiments of shared image devices that cancapture shared images, such as cameras or camcorders, can also functionas storage devices to store some data pertaining to shared images.Certain capturing embodiments of shared image devices can also act as amemory acquisition device that obtains or retains pictures from othershared image devices. Other embodiments of the shared image device 101such as portable image storage and display devices can be configurableas storage devices, in which shared images can be stored, accessed,and/or displayed.

The very structure, nature, or operation of certain embodiments of suchshared image devices such as cameras, digital cameras, or camcorders arelikely to change as the associated technologies (e.g., displaying,digital signal processing, filtering, etc.) improves. It is likely thatdigital cameras and/or camcorders will develop greater memory storagecapabilities as the associated memory storage technologies improve. Inthis disclosure, multiple capturing shared image devices and/or multipleperipheral shared image devices could be “networked” in such a mannerthat a large number of images can be transferred between multiplecapturing shared image devices. Certain capturing shared image devicescan be optimized for their data storage or processing capabilities, andas such may act somewhat like computer servers. Other capturing sharedimage devices can be optimized for their photographic or zoomingabilities, and as such may be considered as true capturing or sharedimage devices. As the characteristics and abilities of different sharedimage devices vary more, the benefits of networking the shared imagedevices increases as well. Certain sharing concepts, as describedherein, enhance the networking aspects of the capturing shared imagedevices.

The resolution conversion portion can in certain embodiments, but notothers, act to alter the resolution of images that might have beencaptured or otherwise obtained. As described within this disclosure,certain embodiments of the resolution conversion portion may beconfigurable to increase or decrease the resolution of the image such asby utilizing pixel removal, pixel-interpolation, and/or combination ofpixels from multiple image techniques. Different embodiments of theresolution conversion portion are described herein. Within thisdisclosure, the terms “resolution conversion” and “resampling” can inmany instances, but not others, be considered similar since both canutilize processes that can include altering image intensity and/or colorvalues of the image. Resampling can in certain embodiments, but notothers, be equated to increasing or decreasing the resolution of atleast a portion of an image. Resampling can, in certain embodiments butnot others, be implemented by respectively adding or removing pixelsfrom a given image as described in this disclosure.

Within this disclosure, the term “changing the resolution” of an imagemay pertain in certain embodiments, but not others, to altering thecolor values and/or the color intensities of a particular image. Assuch, increasing the resolution of an image can pertain to increasingthe density of pixels, and can result from increasing variable colordensity values and/or color intensities of certain pixels and/or imageregions forming the image. Decreasing the resolution of an image canpertain to decreasing the density of the pixels, and can result fromdiminishing variable color density values and/or color intensity ofcertain pixels and/or image regions forming the image. During aresolution conversion process, in certain embodiments of a display orprojector, the footprint of pixels can be appropriately altered toeffectively change the resolution of the at least one image.

Different embodiments of a shared image network 100 that include one ormore shared image devices 101 are described with respect to FIGS. 5 and6. The shared image network 100 can pertain to any motion pictureimaging system or still picture imaging system that is within thedescribed intended scope of the present disclosure, unless otherwiseindicated. The embodiment of the shared image device 101 as describedwith respect to FIG. 5 includes two shared image device is 101 i and 101j. Within this disclosure, any shared image device that is numbered as101 followed by a letter (e.g., 101 a, 101 b, etc.) is be considered asany one of the shared image devices as described in this disclosure withrespect to, for example, FIGS. 1-4, etc. Certain embodiments of thefirst shared image device 101 i can include, but are not limited to, aresolution conversion portion 60 that can be used to convert aresolution of an image, an image capture portion 66 that can be used tocapture an image, and a sharing portion 68 that can be used to share animage with another shared image device. In addition, the first sharedimage device 101 i can include one or more of the following components:a digital camera 74 that can capture still images, camcorder 76 that cancapture moving images, image conversion energy indicator 78 that canindicate an energy necessary to perform some image resolution, imagecapturing operating device 80 that can be used to overview capturing ofshared images, and/or image editing device 82 that can be used to editimages. In certain embodiments, the resolution conversion portion 60 caninclude, but but is not limited to, a higher resolution conversionportion 62 or a lower resolution conversion portion 64. In certainembodiments, the sharing portion 68 can include, but is not limited to,a transfer portion 70 that can be used to transmit shared images to analternate shared image device 101 j, or a receiving portion 72 that canbe used to receive the shared images from the shared image device 101 j.One example of the first shared image device can include a shared imagecircuit.

One embodiment of a shared image network 100 as described with respectto the block diagram of FIG. 5 is described with respect to FIG. 6. Oneembodiment of the shared image network 100 can include a shared imagedevice 101, an optional peripheral shared image device 120, and anoptional communication link 104. The shared image device 101 can beconfigurable to capture images. In different embodiments, the sharedimage device 101 can be alternatively configured as, but not limited to,a digital camera, a camcorder, a cellular phone with picture takingcapabilities, a computer or PDA with image processing and/or picturetaking capabilities, a printer, an image display etc. The shared imagedevice 101 can be operationally sub-divided into an imaging portion 615and data storage portion 614. Different embodiments of the shared imagedevice 101 can capture, photograph, image, print, display, save,store-and-forward, or otherwise process a variety of images including,but not limited to, still images, motion images, video, audio,thumbprints, or other information relating to the images such asmetadata. Different embodiments of the shared image device 101 can beconfigured to capture, obtain, retain, or otherwise process a variety ofimages including, but not limited to, color images, grayscale images,etc.

Many embodiments of shared image devices may be more technically complexor operationally sophisticated then conventional cameras, and as suchmay utilize contoller and/or computer technology as described withrespect to FIGS. 6 and/or 15. Certain embodiments of the shared imagedevice 101 can include a controller 603 that performs the processing,imaging, operation, and other techniques that may be generallyassociated with the shared image device 101 that can benefit fromutilizing automation of those image transforming techniques. Certainembodiments of the controller 603 include a processor 605, a memory 607,circuits 609, and/or an input/output (I/O) 611 that may include a bus(not shown). In general, increased capabilities of the controller 603will enable greater image processing techniques by the shared imagedevice 101, such as can be characterized by improved resolutionconversion or resampling. Different embodiments of the controller 603can include a general-purpose computer, a specific-purpose or devotedcomputer, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, and/or any other knownsuitable type of computer or controller that can be implemented inhardware, software, electromechanical devices, and/or firmware. Incertain embodiments while not in other embodiments, some portions, orall of, the controller 603 can be physically or operationally configuredin each shared image device. In certain embodiments, the processor 605performs the processing, filtering, resolution conversion, arithmetic,and/or other operations for the controller 603 with respect to theshared image device 101. The controller 603 controls the signalprocessing, database querying and response, computational, timing, datatransfer, and other processes associated with image networking.

Certain embodiments of the memory 607 can include random access memory(RAM) and read only memory (ROM) that together can store the computerprograms, operands, and other parameters that control the operation ofthe shared shared image device. The bus provides for digital informationtransmissions between processor 605, circuits 609, memory 607, and I/O611. The bus can in certain embodiments also connect I/O 611 to portionsof the shared image devices, such as the peripheral shared image device120 to suitably transfer data; which thereupon either receives digitalinformation from and/or transmits digital information to other portionsof the shared image network 100 or the shared image device 101.

I/O 611 can provide an interface to control the transmission of digitalinformation between each of the components in the controller 603 and/orthe shared image device 101. The I/O 611 can also provide an interfacebetween the components of the controller 603 and different portions ofthe shared image device. The circuits 609 can include such other userinterface devices as a display and/or a user input portion. The I/O 611can thereby provide a mechanism by which image information, at leastportions of images, and/or metadata associated with images can betransmitted between the shared image device 101 and other devicesincluding, but not limited to, the peripheral shared image device 120 asshown in FIG. 6.

In another embodiment, the controller 603 can be constructed as aspecific-purpose computer such as an application-specific integratedcircuit (ASIC), a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or other similardevices. A distinct controller 603 can be integrated into certainembodiments of the shared image device 101, the peripheral shared imagedevice 120 and/or the communication link 104, as described with respectto FIG. 6.

In this disclosure, “subscribing” pertains to a user joining theirshared image device (which, in different embodiments, can be configuredeither as a capturing shared image device or as a peripheral sharedimage device) in a session to provide shared images to and/or receiveshared images from other shared image devices. In certain embodiments ofthe shared image device, it can be desired to subscribe to differentfunctions using different mechanisms. While any combination ofparticular functions may be described with respect to this disclosure,this disclosure is intended to describe other shared image devices thatcan perform varied or alternative functions.

Certain embodiments of shared image devices 101 provide a mechanism bywhich certain shared image devices that are enrolled in a sharingsession may not share every image that it is being captured. Forexample, certain images captured by a particular shared image device maybe considered as private, and therefore may not be used in certainembodiments for general distribution during a sharing session with othermember shared image devices. Certain communication links 104 thatconnect between pairs of shared image devices can be private in onedirection while public in another direction, public in both directions,or private in both directions. For example, it may be desired toconfigure a communication link from a capturing shared image device to aperipheral shared image device to be either public or private; while thecommunication link from the peripheral shared image device to thecapturing shared image device can be the reverse or the same.

Certain embodiments of shared image devices 101 can provide suchoperations as, but are not limited to: performing active sharing betweenmultiple shared image devices, temporarily pausing or muting the activesharing, resuming the active sharing after temporarily pausing ormuting, connecting with other devices and/or people, or temporarilyperforming or delaying a variety of operations. Such temporary pausingor muting of sharing operations may be equated to temporarily halting asubscription for a particular shared image device; and in manyembodiments the shared images that were shared during this pausing ormuting period can be transmitted or collected after the pausing ormuting. Other aspects and concerns of sharing the shared images canrelate to managing the shared image devices. Examples of these tasksinclude controlling and selecting image resolution, allowing sharedimages to exit a particular shared image device but not enter the sameshared image device, or vice versa.

It is to be understood that certain embodiments of the shared imagedevice 101 can be configurable in a variety of network configurations,for example as described in this disclosure with respect to FIGS. 1, 2,3, or 4. These network configurations are illustrative in nature, andnot limiting scope. Additionally, the multiple shared image devices thatare included in a particular network can frequently change theirassociation and operation. For example, the sharing mechanism 102 asdescribed with respect to FIG. 1 can during a particular time periodinvolve the left-most satellite shared image device 101 b transmitting ashared image to the master shared image device 101 a. The master sharedimage device 101 a can thereupon transmit another shared image toanother one of the satellite shared image devices 101 b during asubsequent period. As such, the communications or networkedconfigurations of multiple embodiments of the shared image devices canbe fluid, changeable, and reliable to transfer a variety of sharedimages (that may be captured by one or more shared image devices) in asubstantially controllable fashion.

Certain embodiments of shared image devices 101, as described withrespect to FIGS. 1 to 4, can each include a portion of a share mechanism102, such as a share button, that the owner of the shared image device101 can actuate by such action as physically pressing. An actuatingportion of a sharing mechanism can act to join a number of shared imagedevices during a particular sharing session, and/or possibly performsome other function(s) relative to the sharing session. Actuatingportions of certain embodiments of share mechanisms 102 can beconveniently located on some external casing of a digital camera orcamcorder, or some other such location for easy actuation. Certainembodiments of the share mechanisms 102 can include those componentsand/or processes that allow one shared image device to share and/or copyimages with at least one other shared image device during a particularsharing session.

In another embodiment, a share mechanism 102 can be included in acomputer/controller based program to control the sharing process betweenmultiple shared image devices. As such, certain embodiments of sharemechanisms 102 can integrate a plurality of shared image devices, sincemore than one shared image device are involved in sharing images. Such ashare mechanism can include an actuating portion that can actuate thesharing mechanism between a number of shared image devices, a graphicaluser interface (GUI) or computer display that can display copies of theshared images to the users across multiple shared image devices, and anauthentication or authorization portion that can provide authenticationor authorization between multiple shared image devices.

A number of other embodiments of the actuating portion of the sharingmechanism can differ considerably from a manually-actuated sharedmechanism (such as a share button) to more automatic type devices.Certain embodiments of such shared image devices can rely on proximitybetween shared image devices. Certain embodiments of the sharingmechanism 102 can utilize near-field shared image devices that arewithin a prescribed range that can be automatically actuated to copyand/or share the shared image information. In certain embodiments, theactuating portion of the share mechanism can even be remotely positionedfrom the associated shared image device 101, such as in a remote-controlof the type that is in common usage for television, etc.

In another embodiment as described with respect to FIGS. 1 to 4,physical contact may actuate a share mechanism 102 within plurality ofshared image devices 101. A Java ring (as produced and made commerciallyavailable by Dallas Semiconductor) provides an example of a commerciallyavailable actuating mechanism that can transmit data between numerousdevices resulting from physical contact of those devices. An embodimentof a share mechanism 102 can include a Java ring or other similar deviceto automate actuation of many aspects of sharing images between multipleshared image devices 101. In certain embodiments, the actuating portionof the share mechanism can be positioned remotely from the associatedshared image device 101, such as is well known in a remote control ofthe type that is in common usage for television, etc.

EXAMPLES OF SHARED IMAGE DEVICES RELYING ON PROXIMITY

In certain embodiments, various users can thereby transfer video,images, or some other type of information based on the proximity ofshared image devices 101. Any combination of a plurality of capturingshared image device(s) and/or peripheral shared image device(s) canutilize proximity therebetween to establish the sharing mechanism 102. Avariety of embodiments of the shared image device 101 can thereby relyon a variety of types of proximity between multiple sharing ones of theshared image devices to allow their sharing such as described in theabove-incorporated U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/069,909. Regionalproximity pertains to a proximity of at least one shared image devicewithin a sharing region, such as described in the above-incorporatedpatent application REGIONAL PROXIMITY FOR SHARED IMAGE DEVICE(S). Theembodiment of geographic proximity, proximity utilizing a communicationlink 104, and/or proximity utilizing passwords, pass-phrases, patternson paper, and the like as described within this disclosure with respectto FIGS. 1 to 4 can vary, and serve as examples of proximity betweenshared image devices.

In many embodiments, the term “proximity” indicates that shared imagedevices 101 are sufficiently close to operably couple with each otherand/or other devices within the sharing region, such as to establish acommunication link 104. In certain embodiments, a wireless link canprovide the geographic proximity that allows data transfer of the sharedimages or portions thereof.

In one embodiment, the multiple shared image devices 101 can operablycouple within the shared image network 100 using a series ofcommunication links 104; different embodiments of the communicationlinks are described with respect to FIGS. 1 to 4. A variety ofembodiments of optical communication links 104 are within the intendedscope of the present disclosure. Different embodiments of thecommunication link 104 can include, for example: a wireless link, an802.11-based link, an infra-red data transfer link, a wired-based link,a physical-contact sharing mechanism that can transmit data uponphysical contact, or any other type of link that allows for sufficientdata to be transmitted between pairs of shared image devices 101.

Certain embodiments of the wireless communication link can utilize avariety of electromagnetic radiation to transmit data. Theelectromagnetic radiation that provides one embodiment of the wirelesscommunication link 104 can include, but is not limited to, infrared,ultraviolet, near infrared, and/or optical signals. In one embodiment, adevoted optical communication link can cause data corresponding to theimages to be transmitted between respective shared image devices. Thecommunication link 104 can be configurable, in one embodiment, tooperably couple a transmitting shared image device to a receiving sharedimage device. The transmitter, receiver, and/or transceiver portions ofthe communication link are to be configurable to carry sufficient dataover the communication link considering the current task and/or networkconfiguration.

In another embodiment, a camera flash can act as a communication link.The intensity of the camera flash can be modulated between differentlevels (including, but not limited to, turning the flash on and off) totransfer a variety of shared image data. Such directing of the opticalflash in a suitable direction should act such that reflected light doesnot interfere with the modulated incident light produced by the cameraflash.

One advantage of using certain embodiments of the camera flash or othersuch wireless link is that multiple receiving shared image devices cansimultaneously obtain shared images from a single transmitting sharedimage device (e.g., by the multiple receiving shared image devicesreceiving the same camera flash or other optical-link that is configuredto transmit data substantially simultaneously).

In many embodiments of the interrelated shared image devices 101 asdescribed with respect to FIGS. 1 to 4, the authentication of multipleshared image devices 101 implies that the shared image devices 101 besufficiently closely spaced (considering the technology to be utilized)to allow communications therebetween and/or within the sharing region,such as over the particular communication links. The shared imagedevices can rely on authentication and/or authorization to share images,image information, etc. with other shared image devices. Suchauthentication and/or authorization can often be inferred by geographicproximity, password proximity, and/or other types of proximity asdescribed within this disclosure between multiple ones of the sharedimage devices depending upon the particular situation (while in otherembodiments, this is not true). As such, in certain embodiments, sharedimage devices 101 that are associated with a particular wedding,children's birthday party, business meeting, or other event, etc. mayestablish the implicit/explicit authorization or authentication betweenmultiple shared image devices. Such authorization or authentication maybe based at least partially on the geographic (e.g., physical) proximitybetween shared image devices, and at least partially result from thoseshared image devices being located at the same event or sharing session,as/or within the sharing region. In many instances, the level ofauthentication or authorization for many shared image device events,such as birthday parties, may be assumed to be relatively low, while inothers it may not be. Many of the concepts described herein can expandinto other forms of geographic or temporal proximity depending upon theparticular technology to be used.

Different embodiments of geographic-based proximity can range to avariety of dimensions including from within inches, to in the same room,to within the same building, to capable of accessing the same wirelessLAN, to in the same stadium or part of a city, or beyond depending uponthe technologies associated with the particular application or thecommunication link. In considering the application of certaincommercially available transmitter/receiver capabilities, Bluetooth (atrademark of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, a trade association)has an effective range of approximately 10 meters. Wireless Fidelity(WiFi, refers in this disclosure generically to any type of 802.11network) can be located in a house or building, and can have anarbitrarily large range (especially by locating replicators or repeatersin each communication link 104 between multiple pairs of shared imagedevices 101). As such, shared image devices 101 can effectivelycommunicate to each other through relatively extensive communicationlinks 104 of variable dimensions. If a particular shared image device101 has WiFi capabilities, the shared image device can have access tothe Internet. If the shared image network 100 is established as aclose-proximity shared image network, each user can be provided withtheir individual “shared image device” 101 that can each be somehowproximally located with respect to the sharing image network during itssharing session. Each shared image device can be configurable to jointhe sharing session, and thereby sync their shared image device 101 tothe current shared image devices.

In certain embodiments but not others, one shared image device 101 cancontinuously have its sharing mechanism actuated as to be in a sharingstate. For example, a user can walk into a room with three friends thatare currently enrolled in the sharing session, position the new sharedimage device 101 within the proximity of at least one of their sharedimage devices, and the shared images can be transferred utilizing such atechnique such as being synchronized or quick-synched to the new sharedimage device 101 over the communications link.

Certain commercially-available cellular phones include embedded cameras(therefore providing photographic capabilities) that can be configurablesuch that the images are transferred from that camera cellular phone toat least one other camera cellular phone, at least one land-phone, or atleast one other receiving device using either a wireless, or some othersuitable, connection. Many of these commercially-available cameracellular phones can thereby be considered to “push” one or more imagesto another device (such as a cellular phone, a computer, a personaldisplay assistant (PDA), etc.) with a display. Such transfer mechanismsthat “push” these pictures utilize the Internet, e-mail, or a similarfile-transfer addressing mechanism (e.g., e-mail address or someassociated addressing scheme). In certain embodiments, addressing thedata associated with photographs can take some time, while in otherembodiments such addressing is simplified. Addressing can be challengingin situations where the address of the recipient shared image device 101is unknown or inaccessible. Certain embodiments of shared image devicescan utilize addressing mechanisms.

Many embodiments of shared image devices 101, as described in thisdisclosure with respect to FIGS. 1 to 4, that include the sharingmechanisms 102 can transfer copies of shared images to at least oneother shared image device 101. Such transfer of copies of shared imagescan thereby allow accessing of certain images, videos, audio, and/orother types of media produced by the other shared image devices 101during a prescribed sharing session. Many embodiments of shared imagedevices 101 do not provide an addressing mechanism to transfer theshared images between different ones of the sharing devices (e.g.,capturing and/or peripheral devices) during a particular sharingsession. As such, a broadcast transfers data between many of theembodiments of the shared image devices. FIGS. 1 to 4 show a number ofembodiments of the shared image networks 100, each of the sharing imagenetworks can include a number of similarly configured shared imagedevices 101, in which each of the shared image devices includes itsrespective sharing mechanism 102.

Within this disclosure, many embodiments of capturing shared imagedevices can be considered as similarly configured while others are not.Similarly, any embodiments of peripheral shared image devices can beconsidered as similarly configured while others are not. In thisdisclosure, the terms “similarly configured”, “similarly configurable”,or alternatively “similar” as applied to many embodiments of the sharedimage devices 101, can pertain to how each shared image device 101processes or relates to its respective shared images. For example,certain embodiments of digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras, etc.can be configurable as capturing shared image devices that are capableof capturing, transferring, retaining, or obtaining such shared imagesas still images or motion images. In the embodiment as described withrespect to FIGS. 1 and 2, shared image devices 101 are each configurableto be similar in general structure or operation, such that each sharedimage device is configurable as a capturing device such as a digitalcamera or camcorder that can be connected using, for example,point-to-point techniques or master-satellite techniques. Each capturingshared image device can capture, photograph, display, generate, receive,or process similar shared images such as digital images or video.

In many imaging situations, the resolution, imaging quality, and imagingcharacteristics of shared images are dependent on that particular sharedimage device that is performing the imaging. As such, even though sharedimage information may be shared between multiple shared image devices,the imaging quality of that shared image depends on the particularshared image device that images or captures (e.g., photographs) theshared information. As such, it may be desirable to capture many of theimages with a high-quality shared image device (e.g., a relativelyexpensive high resolution) by using a number of shared image devices ofthe types as described in this disclosure.

Under different circumstances, certain users of the shared image devicesmay desire to store a relatively large number of captured images withintheir shared image device. As such, it may be desirable to utilizelower-resolution shared image devices to capture lower-resolutionversions of certain images.

In certain instances, an optimal resolution of the images that may becaptured by the different shared image device(s) may not be a decidingfactor for a potential user selecting to share images with a particularshared image device. Perhaps a particularly good photographer is using aparticular shared image device. Alternately, perhaps a shared imagedevice is capturing a particularly desirable subject. Perhaps aparticular shared image device can take excellent pictures under certaincircumstances, for some known or unknown reason. Certain capturingshared image devices may rely upon an optical or a software-base zoomingtechnique. As such, many participants in the sharing session may beinterested in obtaining such shared images based on their inherentquality or value.

The combination of the shared image devices for a particular sharingsession, as described in this disclosure, provides a technique by whichone or more particular shared image devices can be selected to capture aparticular shared image of a type such that shared image device may bethe most appropriate.

Many embodiments of digital cameras can capture, process, display,generate, or receive digital images. Certain peripheral shared imagedevices 120 (e.g., printers, fax machines, PDAs, copiers, etc.) maygenerally be considered as a peripheral device, and not a similar deviceto digital cameras since such peripheral shared image devices cannotcapture shared images, and can only perform such peripheral functions asprinting, retaining, or displaying shared images. A sharing mechanismmay be configurable to convey shared image information either alone, orin combination with audio, data, or a variety of other types ofinformation as described herein.

The embodiment of the shared image network 100, described with respectto FIG. 1, can be referred to as a master-satellite configuration sinceone of the shared image devices 101 is designated as, and acts as, amaster shared image device 101 a for a particular sharing session. Themaster shared image device can receive the shared images generatedeither alone and/or with other ones of the satellite shared imagedevices 101 b that are designated in FIGS. 1 and 3 as 101 b. Thesatellite shared image devices 101 b can be operatively coupled to themaster shared image device 101 a such that in the certain embodiments.Certain ones of the portions of the shared images, that may have beencaptured or created by the shared image devices 101, can be shared asdesired among the satellite shared image devices 101 b.

In certain embodiments, the satellite shared image devices 101 b canalso receive certain ones of the shared images that have been capturedby other ones of the shared image devices 101. Certain embodiments ofsuch satellite shared image devices can receive lower resolutionversions of the received shared images that have been captured duringthe sharing session.

In the embodiments of the shared image network 100 that is describedwith respect to FIGS. 1 and 3, each similar satellite shared imagedevice 101 b can be operably coupled to the respective master sharedimage device 101 a or computer or controller 603 (e.g. of FIGS. 6 and/or15) by, for example, a respective signal connection such as thecommunication link 104. The communication link can be functionallysubdivided into a transmitter portion and/or a receiver portion, oralternatively a transceiver portion that is secured to each shared imagedevice. Certain embodiments of the master shared image devices 101 a canthereby control, to some degree, the shared images that can be receivedby each particular satellite shared image devices 101 b. In otherembodiments of the shared image network 100 that include a master sharedimage device 101 a; a signal connection such as the communication link104 can also extend between certain ones of the satellite-shared imagedevices 101 b.

Each communication link 104 should provide sufficient bandwidth toensure effective transfer of the shared images (e.g., images, portionsof the images, metadata, video segments, and/or video stills) betweenthe appropriate shared image devices 101. Providing such effectiveshared image transfer can ensure satisfactory operation of the sharedimage network 100 as described in this disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of a peer-to-peer shared image network 100,in which each shared image device 101 can connect to at least one othershared image device by at least one communication link 104. In certainembodiments of the peer-to-peer shared image network 100, indirectconnections (such as multiple communication links 104) can extend, inseries, between multiple pairs of shared image devices. Suchcommunication links 104 can therefore transmit shared images betweenmultiple pairs of serially-extending shared image devices 101 or overmultiple serially-extending communication links 104.

The embodiment of the shared image network 100, as described withrespect to FIG. 2, includes a number of shared image devices 101 thatmay act as a peer-to-peer network. Certain embodiments of peer-to-peershared image networks can be configurable in which each shared imagedevice can perform both those functions that are traditionallyassociated with a server device and those functions that aretraditionally associated with a client device. As such, in manyembodiments, shared images can pass between different ones of thepeer-to-peer arranged shared image devices relatively freely as to beavailable to any member shared image device of a particular sharingsession.

In certain embodiments of the shared image network 100, each sharedimage device 101 can be configurable to be capable of accessing theshared images captured by other ones of shared image devices 101 duringthe sharing session.

As described with respect to FIG. 2, the peer-to-peer configuration maybe desired for relatively simple device configuration, set-up, and use;and may also be desirable since no mechanism can be provided in certainembodiments to reduce the number of shared images that are beingtransmitted by any one of shared image devices 101. Certain embodimentsof the peer-to-peer model may be easier to implement since with thepeer-to-peer model, each shared image device 101 (such as a digitalcamera) can be configurable to operate similarly to the other sharedimage devices. In many instances with the peer-to-peer model, no singleshared image device overviews the entire operation of the shared imagenetwork. Instead, all the shared image devices interact to provide thesharing, according to peer-to-peer concepts. For example, the differentshared image devices in a peer-to-peer network can be configurable tooperate similarly, and can be configurable to act as either a clientand/or a server at any suitable particular time during shared imagenetwork operations.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the shared image network 100 thatincludes a number of shared image devices 101. This embodiment issimilar to the embodiment as described with respect to FIG. 1, with theexception that the master shared image device 101 a is configurable as adissimilar device such as a peripheral device, e.g., a computer orcontroller 603 of FIGS. 6 or 15 instead of another type of shared imagedevice 101. In different embodiments, the computer or controller 603 maybe configured as any type of recognized computing device including, butnot limited to: a desktop, a laptop, a workstation, a personal displayassistant (PDA), a microprocessor, a microcomputer, etc. The computer orcontroller 603, as well as other shared image devices, can provide astore-and-forward operation by controllably storing for some duration(regardless of how temporary or permanent is the duration), optionallyprocessing, and then forwarding the shared images. Under certaincircumstances, especially where there are a considerable number ofshared image devices generating many shared images, the FIG. 3embodiment that relies on the computer or controller 603 to provideprocessing, filtering, etc. may be desired. Such networking conceptsrelating to computers, clients, servers, and data transfer betweencomputers as are generally well-known, and will not be further detailedin this disclosure. One purpose of the computer or controller 603 withrespect to the shared image network 100 is to obtain or retain theshared images generated by the other shared image devices 101, andthereupon provide for the retrieval of the generated shared images.

Certain computers acting as servers might be named based on the datathat they can store or produce (e.g., file servers, data servers, webpage servers, etc.). As such, certain embodiments of the computer orcontroller 603 as described with respect to FIG. 3 can act as a sharedimage server. One aspect of using certain embodiments of the computer orcontroller 603 instead of certain embodiments of master shared imagedevice 101 a (in a master/satellite configuration) is that certainembodiments of the computer or controller 603 is likely to beconfigurable to allow more varied image processing, data handling, orother operations.

As such, certain ones of the satellite shared image devices 101 b can beconfigurable as the computer or controller 603 to be capable of handlingqueries relatively quickly and accurately. In certain embodiments, theusers of certain shared image devices 101 can therefore include queriesdirected to the particulars of the sought shared images. Anotheradvantage of certain computers or controllers 603 is that the storagecapability of certain embodiments of the computers or controllers cansubstantially match a value of the number of captured shared imagesduring a sharing session.

EXAMPLE 0F PROXIMITY-BASED SHARING TECHNIQUE

This disclosure described a number of embodiments of proximity-basedsharing techniques. One embodiment of a proximity-based sharingtechnique utilizes a computer or controller of the type described withrespect to FIGS. 6 and 15. Within the disclosure, flowcharts of the typedescribed in this disclosure apply to method steps as performed by acomputer or controller. The flowcharts also apply to apparatus devices,such as a shared image device 101 that includes, e.g., a general-purposecomputer or specialized-purpose computer whose structure along with thesoftware, firmware, electromechanical devices, and/or hardware, canperform the process or technique described in the flowchart.

Since multiple shared image devices can share data (at least one thatsends the shared image information and at least one that receives theshared image information), each shared image device can form a portionof the sharing mechanism. In certain embodiments, actuating theactuating mechanism of a sharing mechanism can cause a particular sharedimage device to share or publish to other similar shared image devices.Such sharing or publishing can occur even if there is not another sharedimage device in sufficiently close geographic proximity, based largelyon inclusions of additional shared image devices (each of which includesa store-and-forward mechanism). The additional shared image devices canbe configurable to allow serial data transmission through a sequence ofsuch intermediate located shared image devices that operatively couplethe terminal shared image devices. The store-and-forward mechanism cantemporarily store data in one of these shared image devices, and cangenerate copies of stored shared images in the form of data from thatshared image device following a desired prescribed duration.

Under certain circumstances, only one shared image device may be amember of a session. For example, if a user of a particular shared imagedevice 101 is the first one to join a sharing session (e.g., get to anevent), then that first user may capture pertinent images, and thesharing mechanism allows others to access the pictures captured by thefirst user of a shared image device 101 at that sharing session. Assuch, at one particular time, only a single shared image device may jointhe sharing session, and effect sharing or copying of the shared images.Prior to a wedding or child's birthday, for example, a professionalphotographer may capture a number of images that pertain to preliminaryevents of that sharing session, and which would perhaps be desirable toother session members who would join that sharing session. In anotherinstance, a leader of a business meeting may prepare a set of sharedimages prior to the meeting that relate to the meeting, and which wouldsubsequently be accessible by other members of the meeting.

In other embodiments, at least two shared image devices 101 mightestablish a particular sharing session. For example, assume thatmultiple shared image devices can be configurable as disposable cameraswhose session shared images can be shared, processed, and/or madeaccessible. In certain embodiments, but not others, multiple sharedimage devices (such as those of the disposable variety) can be soldtogether to be associated with a prescribed sharing session, such as abirthday, wedding, business event, etc.

Other embodiments of shared image devices are likely to be associatedwith a single owner for a longer duration, and can be provided with acontrollable sharing mechanism to allow multiple shared image devices tobe controllably configurable to interface with each other for a distinctduration of, e.g., a distinct sharing session. Many embodiments of theshared image devices can be controllably adjustably configurable toallow the shared image device to join another session. In certainembodiments a single shared image device can perhaps even join multiplesimultaneous sharing sessions.

In considering certain embodiments of the master-satellite configurationas described with respect to FIG. 1, the master shared image device (andperhaps not the satellite shared image device) can originally access thefull resolution versions of the shared images as captured by each sharedimage device. In certain embodiments, satellite shared image devices canbe provided with lower-resolution shared image versions such as, but notlimited to: thumbnails of the shared images, portions of the sharedimages, miniaturized portions of the shared images, low-resolutionversions of the shared images, metadata pertaining to the shared images,etc. The users at the satellite shared image devices (that can beconfigured either as capturing and/or peripheral shared image devices)can then select those shared images that they desire to obtain orretain.

The particular configuration of shared image devices and the sharedimages can largely represent a design choice based on intended usage,and networking or device configurations and operating characteristics.These particular configurations can be selected depending upon theparticular sharing session, event type, shared image device 101 type orother operational characteristic, and can be selected by the “owner” orother participants of each particular sharing session. In someembodiments where a satellite shared image device has insufficientmemory storage to store the full versions of the shared images that havebeen captured for a particular sharing session, the master shared imagedevice can be provided with sufficient data storage to contain the fullversions of the shared images that are being captured during the sharingsession.

In certain embodiments but not others, at least some of the sharedimages that are being stored at the master shared image device will havethe highest resolution available so that when the full images arerequested from the at least certain other ones of the shared imagedevices, the full images can be provided.

In certain embodiments of the shared image networks of shared imagedevices 101 (while not with other embodiments), one purpose is to ensurethose shared images captured by each one of shared image devices havebeen accessed, captured, stored, printed out, or has undergone somedesired action. As such, in certain embodiments, each shared imagedevice 101 may not obtain all the copies of each shared image generatedby every shared image device for that sharing session. As such, incertain embodiments, it may be useful for a user of at least one sharedimage device 101 to provide a peripheral device (such as a printer orportable image storage device such as a CD drive) at a sharing session.The peripheral device may thereupon print and/or obtain and/or retainthe desired shared images for each user of the member shared imagedevices 101 that are associated with the sharing session who wish tohave the images in printed or stored form.

In one embodiment, a shared image device 101 can include a timeoutmechanism. As such, if a user of a shared image device 101 leaves thesharing session, and they forget to deactivate the sharing mechanism,then the timeout mechanism can deactivate the shared image device withrespect to the sharing session after a prescribed amount of time.Certain embodiments of the sharing session can include multiple sharedimage devices 101 that each includes a timeout mechanism such that thesharing session terminates soon after the last member of the sharingsession (and their shared image device) leaves the proximity of thesession.

EXAMPLES OF SHARING IMAGES WITH PERIPHERAL SHARED IMAGE DEVICES

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the shared image network 100 that caninclude a number of shared image devices 550, in which many of sharedimage devices 550 are incapable of capturing images and are thereby arein many ways dissimilar from those embodiments of the capturing sharedimage devices. As described with respect to FIG. 4, one or more sharedimage devices 550 that are configurable as a peripheral shared imagedevice can be contained within a peripheral shared image device portion532. The number of shared image devices 550 that are included within theperipheral shared image device portion 532 as described with respect toFIG. 4 provides a number of examples of peripheral shared image devices.Additionally, one or more shared image device 550 that is configurableas a capturing shared image device can be contained within a capturingshared image device portion 530. The number of shared image devices 550that are included within the capturing shared image device portion 530as described with respect to FIG. 4 provides multiple examples ofcapturing shared image devices. Those shared image devices that arecontained within the capturing shared image device portion 530 can beconfigurable as capturing shared image devices, to primarily captureimages (e.g., take images, image information, or photographs). Thoseshared image devices that are contained within the peripheral sharedimage device portion 532 can be configurable as peripheral shared imagedevices, which are primarily configurable to perform some other functionto the shared images from capturing including, but not limited to,obtaining, retaining, storing, displaying, transferring, printing,segmenting, and otherwise processing. Certain shared image devices 101,such as a peripheral shared image device 550 (for example a memory drivedevice or computer) as contained within the peripheral shared imagedevice portion 532, or alternately, certain capturing shared imagedevices 550 as contained within the capturing shared image deviceportion 530, are configurable to store and/or store and forward theshared images.

FIG. 4 provides an example of a network configuration including aplurality of shared image devices 101 in which at least one deviceoperation of a capturing shared image device (e.g., which are containedin the capturing shared image device portion 530) can be controlled byone or more peripheral shared image devices. Such control can becontained in the peripheral shared image device portion 532. Examples ofthe device operation that can be controlled include, but are not limitedto, altering an operation, altering a shutter control operation,altering resolution control, altering zoom control, altering animaging-location-control operation (which can control where a remotecamera and/or the user thereof is taking an image), etc. In effect, thisdisclosure provides a mechanism by which control device operations suchas are performed in capturing shared image devices can be allowed incertain embodiments of remote shared image devices, such as certainperipheral shared image devices.

For example, it may be desired to couple a capturing shared image devicesuch as a digital camera or camcorder with one or more peripheral sharedimage devices such as a printer, a projector, a computer, and/or a CDburner. Such a combination of dissimilar shared image devices might, ormight not, be associated with a similar combination of shared imagedevices. For example, one or more shared image devices such as a digitalcamera can be associated with a dissimilar shared image device such as aprinter, computer, or projector either for a particular sharing sessionor permanently.

Alternatively, one or more capturing shared image devices such as adigital camera or camcorder can be associated with a dissimilar sharedimage device such as a printer, computer, or projector. Each of thesedissimilar shared image devices may be capable of utilizing the sharedimages in a distinct manner. However, each of the shared image devices550 could also share similar shared images relating to a single groupsharing session (such as digital images) in its own distinct manner.

In certain embodiments, the printer, or other peripheral shared imagedevice, can be configured as a peer in a peer-to-peer configuration, oralternately as a master or satellite in a master-satelliteconfiguration, during the sharing session. For example, one shared imagedevice can be configurable as a capturing shared image device such as adigital camera or camcorder at the session to capture shared images fromother capturing shared image devices as described with respect to FIGS.1 to 4. In certain embodiments, but not others, the users can accessother pictures based on the thumbnails or other reduced-resolutionversions of the shared images that are provided. As such, a printerperipheral device can be used to print out, or a memory device canstore, a certain number of the thumbnails, portion of images, or fullshared images that can be selected by the user at one or more of theshared image devices 550. A projector can be configurable as aperipheral device that can project a variety of images relating to thatsession, as well as other images in certain embodiments. Peripheralshared image devices that can be configurable as a printer can printselected shared images from that same group sharing session. Yet otherperipheral shared image devices that can be configurable as a CD burneror storage can more permanently store image information for a particularsession.

From a high-level aspect and embodiment, a variety of distinct types ofshared image devices can therefore utilize the sharing mechanism. Assuch, a single user might actuate a single sharing mechanism to cause asharing of images between the printer and the digital camera (or otherexamples of commonly-controlled peripheral or capturing shared imagedevices). In certain embodiments, peripheral shared image device(s) canbe networked with one or more capturing shared image devices that areowned by multiple users at a given sharing session. Consider that insome embodiments but not others, both the peripheral shared image device(e.g., printer) and at least some of the capturing shared image devices(e.g., digital cameras) rely upon the same sharing mechanism for thesharing session. In certain embodiments but not others, a peripheralshared image device that can be configurable as a shared image-server,that could function to transfer stored image data back to anothercomputer, could include a sharing mechanism with the other computer.

A variety of peripheral shared image device(s) 101 can store or displayshared images that are produced by the capturing shared image device. Incertain embodiments, a peripheral device such as a projector ortelevision shared image device 101 can be associated with a digitalcamera or camcorder capturing shared image device to provide a slideshow or movie including the shared images provided by the latter. Inother embodiments, a digital video disk (DVD) recorder can burn a CDcontaining shared images provided by a digital camera or camcordershared image device. These different embodiments of shared image devicesthat can be configurable as capturing and/or peripheral shared imagedevices can still be considered as dissimilar in certain aspects butperhaps not in other aspects.

EXAMPLES OF THE COMPUTER/CONTROLLER

FIGS. 6 and 15 show two embodiments of computer/controller 603 that canbe included in certain embodiments of the shared image device 101 toassist in providing the sharing of at least portions of shared imagesbetween multiple shared image devices. For example, each one of the twoshared image devices 101 as described with respect to FIGS. 6 and 15,provides an example of either a peripheral shared image device and/or acapturing shared image device. As such, in different embodiments, twocapturing shared image devices can be operably coupled to each other,two peripheral shared image devices can be operably coupled to eachother; or one peripheral shared image device can be operably coupled toa capturing shared image device in a manner that allows transmittingimage information at, or receiving image information at each or both ofthe shared image devices 101.

As described within this disclosure, multiple ones of the differentembodiments of the shared image devices 101 are able to transfer imageinformation, one or more portions of images, etc. to each other via thecommunication link 104. One embodiment of the computer/controller 603includes a processor 605 such as a central processing unit (CPU), amemory 607, a circuit or circuit portion 609, and an input outputinterface (I/O) 611 that may include a bus (not shown). Differentembodiments of the computer/controller 603 can be a general-purposecomputer, a specific-purpose computer, a microprocessor, amicrocontroller, a personal display assistant (PDA), and/or any otherknown suitable type of computer or controller that can be implemented inhardware, software, electromechanical devices, and/or firmware. Certainportions of the computer/controller 603 can be physically or operablyconfigurable in each shared image device as described with respect toFIGS. 1 to 4. In one embodiment, the processor 605 as described withrespect to FIGS. 6 and 15 performs the processing and arithmeticoperations for the computer/controller 603. The computer/controller 603controls the signal processing, database querying and response,computational, timing, data transfer, and other processes associatedwith the shared image device.

Certain embodiments of the memory 607 include random access memory (RAM)and read only memory (ROM) that together store the computer programs,operands, and other parameters that control the operation of the sharedimage device. The memory 607 can be configurable to contain the sharedimage information obtained, retained, or captured by that particularshared image device 101 (that may be configurable in differentembodiments as the peripheral shared image device of the capturingshared image device).

The bus is configurable to provide for digital information transmissionsbetween the processor 605, circuits 609, memory 607, I/O 611, and/or theimage storage device 1503. In this disclosure, the memory 607 can beconfigurable as RAM, flash memory, semiconductor-based memory, of anyother type of memory that is configurable to store data pertaining toimages. The bus also connects I/O 611 to the portions of the sharedimage devices that either receive digital information from, or transmitdigital information to other portions of the shared image network 100.

Certain embodiments of the shared image device 101 as described withrespect to FIGS. 6 and 15 includes a transmitter portion (not shown)that can be either included as a portion of the computer/controller 603,or alternately can be provided as a separate unit (e.g.,microprocessor-based). In certain embodiments, the transmitter portioncan transmit image information between different shared image devicesover wired and/or wireless communication links.

Certain embodiments of the shared image device 101 as described withrespect to FIGS. 6 and 15 includes an operation altering portion (notshown) that can be either included as a portion of thecomputer/controller 603, or alternately can be provided as a separateunit (e.g., microprocessor-based). Examples of operation alteringportions include, but are not limited to, altering a resolution,altering a contextual library, altering an aspect ratio, altering acolor intensity and/or brightness at a second shared image device (suchas a capturing shared image device) by transmitting appropriate imageinformation from a first shared image device (such as a peripheralshared image device). The memory 607 can provide one example of a memorystorage portion. In certain embodiments, the monitored value includes,but is not limited to: a percentage of the memory 607, a number ofimages that are stored in the memory 607, or for motion images arecording interval (audio or video recording intervals).

To provide for overflow ability for the memory 607 of certainembodiments of the shared image device 101, the image storage device1503 as described with respect to FIG. 15 can operably couple to thememory 607 to allow a controllable transmitting of memory data from theshared image device 101 to the image storage device when the monitoredvalue of data within the memory 607 (e.g., the memory storage portion)exceeds a prescribed value. The prescribed value can include, e.g., somepercentage amount or some actual amount of the value. In differentembodiments, the image storage device 1503 can be included as a portionof the shared image device 101, as external to the shared image device,or as electrically connected (such as by an electrical coupling) to theshared image device. Different embodiments of the image storage device1503 can be configurable as a mobile random access memory (RAM) device,a flash memory device, a semiconductor memory device, or any othermemory device (that may or may not be distinct from the memory 607) thatcan store images, image information, and/or any other data that can bestored within the memory 607.

In certain embodiments, a secondary communication link 1505 can beestablished between the shared image device 101 (for example, the memory607) and the image storage device 1503. The secondary communication link1505 can be structured similar to as the communication link 104, asdescribed with respect to FIGS. 1-4, or alternatively can utilizenetwork-based computer connections, Internet connections, etc. toprovide data transfer between the shared image device 101 that includesthe computer/controller 603, and the image storage device 1503. Thesecondary communication link 1505 can be established prior to, during,and/or following the existence of the shared session. In certainembodiments of the shared image device 101, the particular elements ofthe computer/controller 603 (e.g., the processor 605, the memory 607,the circuits 609, and/or the I/O 611) can provide a monitoring functionto monitor the amount of images and/or image information containedtherewithin. Such a monitoring function by the shared image device canbe compared to a prescribed limit, such as whether the number of imagescontained in the memory 607, the amount of data contained within thememory 607, or some other measure relating to the memory is approachingsome value. The limits to the value can, in different embodiments, becontrolled by the user or the manufacturer. In certain embodiments, thememory 607 stores motion images, video images, and/or audio imagesrelating to, e.g., a motion picture, camcorder, video, or audioembodiment of the shared image device. In certain embodiments themeasure relating to the memory approaching some value may pertain tosome recording duration, such as video recording duration or audiorecording duration. Using the recoding duration, certain embodiments ofmotion picture shared image devices can thereby quantify how many sharedimages, or other images, have been captured.

In certain embodiments, the I/O 611 provides an interface to control thetransmissions of digital information between each of the components inthe computer/controller 603. The I/O 611 also provides an interfacebetween the components of the computer/controller 603 and differentportions of the shared image device. The circuits 609 can include suchother user interface devices as a display and/or a keyboard.

In other embodiments, the computer/controller 603 can be constructed asa specific-purpose computer such as an application-specific integratedcircuit (ASIC), a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or other similardevices. A distinct computer/controller 603 can be integrated intocertain embodiments of the shared image device 101, the share mechanism102, and/or the communication link 104, as described with respect toFIGS. 1 or 3.

In certain embodiments, the shared image device 101 including thecomputer/controller 603 can be configured as a peripheral shared imagedevice. Such peripheral shared imaged devices can be configured toinclude sufficient image storage in the memory 607 to allow storage ofthe images for a session. Additionally, in certain embodiments theperipheral shared image device can transmit operational instructions(either computer based or manual) to instruct either a user at thecapturing shared image device how to operate the capturing shared imagedevice; or ultimately can automatically operate the capturing sharedimage device(s) according to the operating information or instructions.The operating information or instructions can include, but is notlimited to, how many images to capture, where to capture (take a picturetoward a specified direction), the subject of the desired image, zoomlevel, etc. In this manner, certain embodiments of peripheral sharedimage devices can effectively control the operation of an associatedcapturing shared image device by effective use of operating information.

EXAMPLES OF DEVICE CAPACITY

The different embodiments of the shared image devices 101, operating asdescribed with respect to FIGS. 1 to 4 that can be configurable aseither capturing shared image devices and/or peripheral shared imagedevices, could reasonably be expected to either capture, photograph,project, display, obtain, retain, process, download, and/or perform avariety of other operations with respect to a number of shared images.In certain embodiments, a relatively large memory storage area can beprovided to, and utilized by, each shared image device to deal with thelarge amounts of data associated with images, and the associatedprocessing.

This section includes a description of certain embodiments of indicatorsthat allow the shared image device to operate within their memorycapacity, battery capacity, or processor capacity. When the particularcapacity for a particular shared image device is reached, a particularshared image device typically does not operate as intended or designed.Different embodiments of the device capacity include, but are notlimited to, memory storage capacity, processor capacity, and/or batterylife capacity. One example of a device capacity indicator is describedin this disclosure relative to FIG. 26, with respect to a statusindicator 1504.

In many embodiments, the users of each shared image device can beprovided with the option of obtaining or retaining particular sharedimages obtained from a particular shared image device, associated with aparticular user, or relating to a particular subject. In one embodiment,such filtering techniques can filter based upon the metadata that isassociated with each shared image.

In certain embodiments, the shared image device 101 can include a recordthat indicates the shared image device that actually captured the sharedimages. The record can also include the identities of other shared imagedevices with which the user has agreed, by joining the sharing session,to be willing to share images. The user of the shared image device withsuch a record can select those other shared image devices with whichthey wish to access certain, or at least some of their, shared imagesfor the particular sharing session. In one embodiment, this can beconsidered as a back-end synchronization to provide sharing of sharedimages, and the synchronized data can be returned to the capturingshared image device.

This can be because there is an association between the different sharedimage devices (e.g., a user's camera and the user's computer orprinter). In one embodiment, there can be a sharing session identifierthat is available to the members of the sharing session by which theshared images, portions thereof, associated information, metadata, etc.that in certain instances allows transferring the shared images throughthe network or the Internet.

The synchronization for a session of multiple shared image devices canallow a member shared image device that has left a session to return tothe session. In addition, a member that has entered a session later thanother members can receive the prior images relating to the session bysynchronizing with other members of the session that have the priorshared images. In certain embodiments, it is envisioned that differentmembers of the same session can have different sessions, so to provide acomplete synchronization for a member joining (or rejoining) an existingsession, the joining shared image device may obtain a number of imagesfrom multiple shared image device sources. In the master-satelliteembodiments as described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 3, it may bepossible for a member shared image device joining the session tosynchronize therewith to obtain the images (or portions thereof) fromthat master shared image device which contains all images pertaining tothat session.

Synchronization may be more complex in certain embodiments than certainshared image devices providing the images to other shared image devices.For example, certain shared image devices may have limited resourcescompared with other shared image devices due to different memorydimensions, different battery lives, different imaging resolutions, etc.As such, to transmit image data between different shared image devices,it may be important that the sending shared image device configure theimage data in a format as desired by the receiving shared image device.For example, the shared images could be selected to be thumbnail images,full images, portion of images, metadata relating to images, etc.

In many embodiments of shared image devices, a mechanism can be providedsuch that a receiving shared image device that has obtained one versionof a shared image can obtain another. For example, if a receiving sharedimage device that has already received a thumbnail shared image from atransmitting shared image device, and the receiving shared image devicethereupon provides a request to obtain a full-resolution image versionor a reduced-resolution image version of certain shared images, then thetransmitting shared image device could provide such full-resolutionimages. In certain embodiments, such synchronization (to provide certainversions of many images, or alternate versions of certain images) couldbe allowed even after the session is complete such as by using such atransfer mechanism such as email, or even a reestablished communicationlink.

In certain embodiments, a memory capacity warning such as the statusindicator 1504 exists on capturing shared image devices such as a cameraor camcorder. This memory capacity warning can function in a similarmanner to a battery indicator, to indicate an amount of time remainingconsidering past-flows for the particular sharing session. As such, ifthe past image storage has taken up a prescribed percentage of thememory storage, the indicator will indicate the number of images usedcompared to those remaining, the percentage of image storage space used,or the amount of time remaining. The users of the shared image devicescan use such indicators based on past-flows to judiciously apply furtherimage capturing, obtaining, retaining, or other activities.

Certain ones of the device capacities may be related. For example, onecapturing shared image device may be configurable to only be able tostore a certain number of shared full-sized images. The status indicator1504 therefore may indicate the number of remaining full-sized images,reduced-resolution images, as well as the number of thumbnail images ormetadata (as desired by the user of the shared shared image device, oras designed by the designer of the shared shared image device). Toobtain or retain more full-sized images or even reduced-resolutionimages may require a considerable amount of battery life that representsanother embodiment of device capacity. As such, a particular userconsidering obtaining or retaining more shared images may dependpartially on the battery life state as well as the amount of energynecessary to obtain the current state of stored full-sized images,thumbnail images, or metadata. In one embodiment, the data associatedwith the captured shared images can be initially stored in an imagestorage location within the shared image device. The percentage of data(or number of images) that is stored in the image storage location canbe monitored, and when the percentage of data (or number of images)exceeds a predetermined amount, some data that is to be stored and/ordata that has been stored can be obtained or retained to a remotestorage location.

In one embodiment, the remote storage location can be remotely locatedfrom the device image storage location such that the image, or portionsthereof, can be obtained or retained over a wireless communication linkand/or other link such as over the Internet or another shared imagenetwork or network. In another embodiment, the remote storage locationcan include, for example, an image storage device that is operablycoupled, such as by a short connection link, to the shared image device.The physical memory dimensions of the image storage location, and aswell as the remote storage location, can be selected based on thevolumes and type of images, portions of images, or other imageinformation that is likely to be obtained with a particular shared imagedevice for a particular sharing session. As such, this allows thesharing by shared image devices 101 to be accomplished in asubstantially real-time basis.

A data storage capacity situation can occur when a user overuses thestorage capability of the shared image device, such as by capturing toomany images using a digital camera or camcorder. This may be connectedto the shared-percentage concept described presenting, wherein if acertain percentage of the image capacity in a camera has been captured,either the images relating to that sharing session, or the images from aparticular user, can be rejected (or selectively considered by using,e.g., a browsing mechanism).

Certain embodiments of the sharing mechanism can also operate as asubscription mechanism. For example, if a user of a first shared imagedevice captures an image, it may be sent to the other shared imagedevices that are participating in the sharing session. Such asubscription to a sharing session may be equated with subscribing withanother service. Each subscribing shared image device may thereuponelect to join a particular session. In certain embodiments of a session,each user of a shared image device can select which images are to beobtained or retained, and can reject certain images. There are a varietyof embodiments that can be provided between sessions and subscriptionsthereto.

In certain embodiments, if a user of a first shared image device agreesto publish a particular image for a number of other shared image devicesincluding, in particular, a second shared image device, then the user atthe second shared image device can, in certain embodiments but notothers, agree to accept the pictures. It is also possible to envisionrelatively simple or complex cases. For example, shared image devicesconfigurable as digital cameras can have the capability of browsingthrough their shared images. Such a browser could be applied to incomingsubscribed-to images. Consider an instance that provides for “stopsubscribing” to any particular user, from any particular sharingsession, and/or the like. As such, the images can be either permanentlyblocked, temporarily blocked, allowed access to add further time,selectively cultured, or a wide variety of other permutations. At a liveevent, a user may for example be more concerned with capturing theimages than managing them.

EXAMPLES 0F PERIPHERAL SHARED IMAGE DEVICE CONCEPTS

A number of different embodiments of peripheral shared image deviceconcepts are described, which can describe sharing between one or morecapturing shared image devices and/or one or more peripheral sharedimage devices. FIGS. 20 and 21 are intended to describe illustrativeembodiments of shared image networks 100, and are not intended to belimiting in scope. Any arrangement of shared image devices, capturingshared image devices, and/or peripheral shared image devices that arearranged as described with respect to FIGS. 20 or 21 are within theintended scope of the present disclosure regardless of the inclusion ofadditional shared image devices 101 or additional communication links104.

In FIG. 20, shared image devices 101 d and 101 e represent examples ofthe shared image devices 101, and are configurable to capture sharedimages of the type described with respect to the capturing shared imagedevice portion 530 of FIG. 4, or the shared image devices 101 of FIGS. 1to 3. The peripheral shared image device 101 d is an example of the typeincluded in the peripheral shared image device portion 532 of FIG. 4,and may include, for example, printers, memory devices, memory drives,facsimile machines, projectors, displays, television, computer systems,phones, camera phones, display phones, personal display assistants(PDAs), and any other known type of device having a display. Thecommunication link 104 a is of the type as designated as 104 withrespect to FIGS. 1-4, and is configured to transmit shared image(s),image information, portions of image representations, etc between theirrespective shared image devices. The communication link 104 aoperatively couples the peripheral shared image device 101 d and thecapturing shared image device 101 e.

In FIG. 21, circuitry 2100 provides one example that can be configuredas a shared image device 101 as described in this disclosure. In certainembodiments, the circuitry 2100 includes, but is not limited to, aresolution-transforming portion 2102, a transferring portion 2104, aswell as an optional image conversion energy indicator portion 2106, andan optional image capturing operating device portion 2108. In certainembodiments but not others, the resolution-transforming portion 2102 canbe configurable to change a resolution at a shared image device of atleast a portion of an image. In certain embodiments but not others, thetransferring portion 2104 can be configurable to transfer the at leastthe portion of the image from the shared image device to effect sharingthe image. In certain embodiments but not others, the image conversionenergy indicator portion 2106 can be configurable to indicate whetherthe shared image device has a sufficient energy, based at least in parton an energy level of the shared image device, to change the resolutionat the shared image device of the at least the portion of the image. Incertain embodiments but not others, the image capturing operating deviceportion 2108 can be configurable to operate an image capturing device.

In one or more various aspects, related systems include but are notlimited to circuitry and/or programming for effecting theherein-referenced method aspects; the circuitry and/or programming canbe virtually any combination of hardware, software, electromechanicalsystem, and/or firmware configurable to effect the herein-referencedmethod aspects depending upon the design choices of the system designer.

EXAMPLES OF SHARING MECHANISMS

To provide improved consumer electronics, it may be desirable to providea simplified sharing mechanism to accomplish the desired task for theshared image device 101. The image-based products produced by suchlarge-scale electronics/computer manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard,IBM, Xerox, Sony, and a variety of other companies (all registeredtrademarks of their respective companies) determine thoseconsumer-electronic devices that could have sharing capacity. Toappreciate the large variety of shared image devices 101 that couldbenefit from sharing capability and thereby become either a capturing orperipheral shared image device of, one can walk-through a largeconsumer-electronics store, or alternatively consider the variety ofconsumer device patents in the USPTO.

Certain shared image devices 101 might have a prescribed design behaviorwhen associated with a group of shared image devices. Consider that eachshared image device has a traditional function such as photography,printing, computing, etc. It is also possible that some shared imagedevices can perform a function that differs from their traditionalfunction for a particular sharing session.

Theoretically, the share mechanism can be configurable to operaterelatively simply to cause sharing between multiple shared imagedevices; similar to the ease that has become generally accepted by,e.g., depressing a shutter button that triggers a camera to capture animage. Additional complexity may be provided, as desired, in certainembodiments of shared mechanisms to provide additional functionalitysuch as to select those shared image devices that may join a particularsharing session. One embodiment of such additional complexity to selectmember shared image devices may relate to establishing a “buddy list”between multiple shared image devices, as described later in thisdisclosure. Certain embodiments of shared image devices, but not others,are configured as a packaged item that allows sharing functionality toother shared image devices in the package. Such member selection may beafforded to peripheral shared image devices such as device printers, DVDburners, etc.

In certain embodiments, shared image devices select certain sharedimages that may have been captured by at least one other shared imagedevice, and can obtain other versions of the selected shared images. Inone embodiment, it may be desired to provide a near-real-timedata-transfer between certain shared image devices 101 (but perhaps notothers) that are participating in certain sharing sessions. In otherembodiments, the rate of data transfer may not be critical based on theparticular application, and the rate of data transfer can be reduced.The particular share mechanism should be adaptable to the uses, designs,operations, and other considerations of the shared image devices.

EXAMPLES OF SHARED IMAGE DEVICES HAVING PASSWORD PROXIMITY

It has been described above how to integrate a number of shared imagedevices 101 into the shared image network 100 based upon the proximityof the shared image devices 101 (either geographic or based on thecommunication link 104), and also based on the actuations of, and theoperations of, the respective shared mechanisms. In the geographicproximity-based embodiments, the shared image devices can be locatedrelatively closely to each other depending upon the particulartechnology utilized.

In other embodiments, shared image devices can be operably connected toeach other (e.g., operably coupled) to allow authentication foroperation such as by a password such as a spoken word or phrase, acaptured picture, etc. Certain embodiments can use password-proximity incombination with, or in addition to, geographic proximity. The differenttypes of proximity are therefore not necessarily mutually exclusive. Assuch, an authorizing password, a pass image, or a variety of similarpass mechanisms can replace the above-described physical proximityrequirements.

This portion of the disclosure thereby describes how a number of sharedimage devices 101 can join the sharing session based on passwords or asimilar mechanism, instead of based upon the physical proximity. Certainembodiments of the shared image network 100 can create group passwordsto protect against use of shared image devices by non-participants. Theshared image devices 101 within that particular sharing session can beconfigurable to respond or operate pursuant to the password, pass image,etc. using suitable image recognition, speech recognition, patternrecognition, or other recognition programs. Consider, for example, oneof the participants at a birthday party or other event creates atemporary community password for the session group.

Participants can enter the appropriate password, and thereby actuate theshared image device 101 using the sharing mechanism. In one embodiment,only those shared image devices 101 with the correct password may beprovided access to a community of shared images for that sharingsession.

A variety of password mechanisms thereby can provide passwordfunctionality to shared image devices 101. Password mechanisms representone relatively easy technique to provide password functionality. In oneembodiment, the users of shared image devices 101 can followinstructions to type in a specific password, pass phrase, something theuser says, something the user types, or some picture that can bepossessed by the users in the sharing session (e.g., handed out at thedoor for a sharing event). Such password, etc. that passes theappropriate recognition program can thereupon be used forauthentication, etc.

One embodiment of a recognizable password for a recognition programincludes a photographic-password. For example, a user who wants to joina certain session can do so by submitting a captured image of an arm, acaptured image of a thumb, a captured image of a shoe, a captured imageof a prescribed number of fingers or some letter or number (or groupthereof), or a captured image of some other physical characteristicwhose shape or appearance would be recognizable using computer-basedimage recognition programs, etc. In another embodiment, at least some ofthe cameras are provided (e.g., by a leader of a session or a producerof a shared image device) with a similar appearing card or piece ofpaper having some shape or pattern printed on them that represents apicture that can thereupon act as a password.

In another embodiment, the printed pattern could even include, e.g., apage or portion of a newspaper, or magazine, or a portion thereof. Thepattern of text, or a photograph, or a physical shape can represent apattern that is recognizable by a hardware, firmware, or software-basedpattern recognition mechanism such as may be used in certain embodimentsof shared image devices 101. In yet another embodiment, the patternrecognition software can even be applied to remote shared image devices,such that the members of the sharing session hold up some predeterminednumber of fingers (e.g., 5, 4, etc.), or a printed number, to join thesharing session. These examples of pattern recognition, speechrecognition, etc. are illustrative in nature and not limiting in scope.In certain embodiments, the users of the shared image devices 101 caneven be remotely located as in different cities or countries whileallowing suitable operation of the shared image network 100.

The patterns discussed in this disclosure are recognizable by anoptical, audio, or video pattern recognition system or device (such as apattern or shape recognition program that runs on at least onegeneral-purpose computer or at least one specialized-purpose orspecific-purpose computer, or a networked combination thereof, asdescribed herein). It is also to be understood that many shared imagedevices, such as digital cameras or camcorders, could include voiceinput that could thereupon be compared against a speech pattern, anaudio pattern, and/or a password or pass-phrase pattern using vocalrecognition patterns. As such, a vocal or audio pattern search of aparticular individual using a vocal or audio recognition program, orusing a particular spoken password, is within the intended scope of thepresent disclosure. Additionally, a spoken password can be compared to avoice recognition program for that password.

There are a wide variety of graphic, photographic, image-based, local,or audio type passwords, and/or pass-phrases that are within theintended scope of the present disclosure. As such, those describedherein are not intended to be limiting in scope. The variety ofrecognition programs for speech, voice, image, audio, video, etc.provide an indication of the large variety of recognition programs thatare within the intended scope of the applicable pattern recognitionprograms of the present disclosure. The general operation of recognitionprograms as run on captures and/or controllers are generally well knownby those skilled in the art and will not be further detailed within thisdisclosure.

The sophistication, quality, expense, and functionality of shared imagedevices 101 included in different embodiments of the shared imagenetwork can therefore vary widely. In one embodiment, the satelliteshared image devices 101 b that are associated with the master sharedimage device 101 a can be a relatively inexpensive device, such ascameras or camcorders that can each hold a prescribed amount of data atany given time. As such, the satellite shared image devices 101 b canthereupon obtain or retain the data to the imaging computer-cameraassociated with that sharing session. In other embodiments, some ofshared image devices 101 in the shared image network 100 can berelatively expensive and sophisticated, such that each shared imagedevices 101 can be configurable to perform a specific function and/orspecific operability.

A certain master shared image device 101 a can alternatively beconfigurable as a satellite shared image device 101 b in a differentsharing session or time. In one embodiment, the person giving the party,moderating an event, etc. can logically configure their digital imagedevice to be the master. As such, certain digital image devices (e.g.,digital cameras or camcorders) can be configurable as the master orsatellite depending upon the particular sharing session, and who isestablishing or running the sharing session.

If a particular shared image is deleted, the deletion of the sharedimage can propagate through other shared image devices and/or users incertain embodiments. Although in certain relatively simplifiedembodiments, the deletion will not propagate through to other sharedimage devices. It may, also be desirable to apply an undo function tocertain embodiments of shared image devices to remove bad pictures(images) so that they may not be shared.

In the peer-configuration, it may be desired to provide some“remembering” function such that the shared image network 100 remembersthe contents of those particular shared images that were not sharedbefore shared image devices lost proximity. An option may be to allowthose shared images to be shared between shared image devices.

EXAMPLES OF SHARING SESSIONS

As described in this disclosure, it may be useful in certain embodiments(while not in other embodiments) to incorporate some type of a sharingsession that extends for the duration of a session to associate, on asharing basis, those member shared image devices to the sharing session.As such, the sharing session can be the duration over which certainembodiments of shared image devices 101 may share their shareableresources, such as still pictures or motion pictures.

There can be many embodiments of types of sharing sessions, as describedwithin this disclosure. For example, in some sessions, the shared imagesthat have been captured can be shared or copied between some of theother shared image devices 101. As such, if a number of shared imagedevices each captured an image (or portions thereof) for a particularsharing session, then some of the shared image devices can be expectedto have a large number of shared images to capture, process, manage,consider, store, and/or view. In other embodiments of the sharingsessions, only a certain number of the images are shared or copied withcertain shared image devices.

One embodiment of the sharing session may involve a group of users for asession (e.g., parents for a particular child's birthday party orsporting event), each of which have a shared image device that may beconfigurable (authenticated or authorized) to gain access to the sharedimages at that event. In one embodiment, certain shared image devices101 could obtain or retain shared images (e.g., pictures) even afterthey had left, but before the event has ended. It is likely that theshared image network 100 would utilize one or more wireless links toprovide the flexibility between the shared image devices such as isprovided with certain local area networks. Alternatively, the imagescould be accessed later over e.g., wide area networks to obtain orretain large volumes of the data associated with a number of pictures.

For certain embodiments, it may be desired to allow a certain sharedimage device 101 to join a plurality of concurrent sharing sessions. Auser would then be able to determine which one of multiple sharingsessions they wished to be a member. As such, such a shared image device101 could obtain or retain information from at least certain othershared image devices from both/all of the concurrent sharing sessions.Access to the multiple sharing sessions can be covered by providingmultiple passwords or pass-phrases that each relate to the differentconcurrent sharing sessions. In certain embodiments, it is thereforepossible for certain shared image devices 101 to subscribe to multiplesharing sessions simultaneously. Logically, this sharing of one sharedimage device into multiple sharing sessions can be envisioned as, e.g.,a Venn diagram in which each shape represents one of multiplepotentially-overlapping concurrent sharing sessions. In theseembodiments, the sharing sessions that each shared image relates to canbe identified; or in certain embodiments, a particular shared imagedevice pertains to both/all of the concurrent sharing sessions.

With many embodiments of sharing sessions that are established onpeer-to-peer shared image networks similar to as described above withrespect to FIG. 2; the networks can have the capability of replicatingdata that has been lost (or not obtained) by a particular shared imagedevice 101. As such, when a particular shared image device 101 joins thesharing session, it may be able to query at least some of the devices toobtain the shared images that have been captured through the beginningof that sharing session. As such, when a member of the sharing sessionor event arrives halfway through the event, they will be able to accessthe previously captured images, etc. that pertain to the sharingsession.

Replication of lost, or never obtained, data may be successfullyperformed in many peer-to-peer shared image networks as well as othernetworks. Such data replication represents an advantage of certainpeer-to-peer shared image networks. This replication may not apply tosharing sessions that have already both started and ended, even forpeer-to-peer shared image networks. As such, in many embodiments, usersof shared image devices 101 that might have joined the sharing sessionafter the sharing session has ended may not be able to obtain thoseshared images substantially directly (but perhaps can obtain the sharingsession pictures from a friend or a family member). Certain embodimentsof the shared image network 100 may include a concept of a synchronizedmaster shared image device from which a latecomer can obtain the sharedimages.

Though dissimilarities exist between different types of sharing sessionsbetween shared image devices 101, there can also be a great deal ofcommonality. For example, many embodiments of the sharing sessions canbe identified by a unique session identifier. With certain embodimentsof the sharing sessions, those who are attending should be able toaccess the shared images captured by some of the shared image devices101 associated with that sharing session (while this may not be true inother embodiments of the sharing session). Many embodiments of sharingsessions rely on a broadcast by which images (or portions thereof orinformation relating thereto) are transmitted to other members of thesession, in many instances without an addressing mechanism.

A user can get access to sharing sessions in certain embodiments afterthey have left that sharing session, such as a party. For example, thesharing session may be configurable such that the members can accessimages relating to any portion of the shared session following theshared session from one of the session members (perhaps after providinga suitable password to rejoin and/or access images from the session). Incertain embodiments, such sharing session members may be able to accessthe shared images after they leave the sharing session using a differentmechanism, such as the Internet or another embodiment of network (e.g.,or other shared image network). The particular configuration of theshared image network largely determines how current members, as well aspast members, of the sharing session may access shared images from theshared image network.

Consider that for certain embodiments, when a user actuates a sharingmechanism 102 to join a particular sharing session, that they establisha sharing session identity (ID). For certain embodiments of shared imagedevices 101, they should be able to use the sharing session ID to laterretrieve pictures even after they have left the event. For example, thepassword can be used as a host-name or sharing session ID for the event.Sharing session names can also default to easily remembered things suchas date, name of the sharing session, etc. Shared image devices can beassociated with one or more from a set of shared default keywords suchas “party”, “anniversary”, “Christmas”, “sports event”, “businessmeeting”, etc. For a number of embodiments, the information associatedwith each particular sharing session should be retrievable later from acentral computer, a server, etc.

For a particular sharing session member who shows up late to the sharingsession or meeting, it may be important that different session attendeeshave the capability of “pulling in” new members, and providing them theshared images going back to the beginning of the sharing session. Forexample, assume that there are four currently-joined shared imagedevices 101 in a session, and a new shared image device is being joinedusing the first shared image device to establish a new grouping of fiveshared image devices. Such joining techniques may, for example, rely onpoint-to-point communication, master-satellite communication,client-server communication, or other shared communication techniques.In one embodiment, for example, the user of the first shared imagedevice 101 actuates the sharing mechanism that publishes the sharedimages to allow the joining shared image device to become part of thesharing session, and thereby gain access to the images already taken byother session devices. A number of different sharing sessionconfigurations for the sharing mechanisms can thereby be provideddepending on the application or as a design choice. One embodimentinvolves a first person actuating the sharing mechanism 102, at whichpoint other shared image devices within range may be able to accessthose. This embodiment could be considered as simply opening up some ofthe session information contained in one shared image device 101 toother shared image devices.

Another embodiment can be considered as a “published with synchronizedtimestamp”, such that each user actuates the sharing mechanism at thesame time to get synchronized, and therefore is able to somewhat controlthe dispersal of the shared images. Another embodiment can be referredto as a “shared plus password.”

EXAMPLES OF ANCILLARY ASPECTS FOR SHARING MECHANISMS

Certain shared image device 101 concepts can also be applicable tobusiness meetings, telephone calls, etc. As such, some participants in ameeting can copy, share, and/or distribute all, or selected sharedimages, or shared camcorder output, etc. relating to the meeting, event,etc. This even applies to those members who arrived late. Someembodiments of the sharing mechanism can also include a stop-publishingaspect of the sharing mechanism. In certain session embodiments, astop-sharing mechanism or temporary halt publishing mechanism performsan inverse operation to the sharing mechanism as described herein.Suppose, for example, that a user in a shared image device 101 wishes tocapture at least one private picture, and thereby temporarilydisconnects from the shared image network to keep from sharing thatimage from the other members of the sharing session.

This can be the same or a different feature as a temporary-privatemechanism such as a mute-image device. In this manner, a person in theparty can temporarily disconnect their device from the shared imagenetwork 100 and/or certain shared images or portions thereof for aportion of the sharing session.

In one embodiment, a unique time-stamp can be provided to synchronize atleast some of the digital devices in the sharing session, and the timecan be measured with respect to the beginning of the sharing session.Each shared image device such as a digital camera or camcorder canthereupon utilize a universal sharing time. In one embodiment, at leastsome of the clocks for the different shared image devices 101 slave to atime corresponding to one of the devices for that sharing session. Inanother embodiment, at least certain shared image devices 101 slave to asharing session time for that session. The selected sharing session timecan rely on a distinct time-keeping mechanism.

In another embodiment, a “buddy list” can be integrated into a number ofshared image devices that form a subset from within a larger group ofshared image devices (e.g., the smaller group is identified to share orcopy their shared images using the buddy list). Those shared imagedevices may elect to share or copy their images with other shared imagedevices sharing the same buddy list, but not share their “buddy-list”images with the group of shared image devices at large.

In one practical example, assume that one user of the shared imagedevice 101 goes to a sports event with a group of friends. When thatuser actuates the sharing mechanism using their buddy list, the sharedimage device synchronizes with other shared image devices on that buddylist, but not necessarily with the shared image devices at large. In oneembodiment, the “buddy-list” group can be associated with a prescribedpassword, for example. There can be a variety of such embodiments ofshared image devices that range from relatively simple to more complex.The use of the buddy list to actuate the share mechanism in certainembodiments of shared image devices can utilize certain passwords, suchthat those shared image devices that produce the passwords can join thebuddy-list session.

A number of rules can be applied to the shared image devices thatpertain to general concepts of time, space, and/or locations forcapturing the shared images. Such aspects as buddy lists, the numbers ofpictures that can be shared, stop-halt, temporary-halt, percentage ofstorage that can be shared, and the types of pictures that can be shared(e.g., private or public shared images) are exemplary aspects withrespect to shared image devices.

Additionally, in one embodiment, photographers could prioritize theirshared images. For example, certain shared images can vary in qualitybased on, e.g., content, interest, or quality of the shared image in amanner that can be either objectively or subjectively rated, or othersuch factors. Other users may select a shared image device to accessonly those shared images that are above a certain quality level (e.g.good, excellent, fair, etc.). Filtering of the lower quality images,measured by some objective and/or subjective standard, provides atechnique to reduce the amount of data that has to be obtained orretained for each sharing session.

Certain embodiments of shared image devices can be configurable tohandle multiple sharing sessions. For example, suppose a user has aprinter that can handle both a first sharing session and a secondsharing session for a particular digital camera or camcorder. Differentapplications for the shared image devices could thereupon be useful inbusiness, educational, sporting, governmental, police, or applicationsin which an individual obtains shared images for several concurrentevents (or only one event that an individual is not attending). It mightbe desirable to allow a user to subscribe to the multiple sharingsessions substantially simultaneously. The personal computer (PC) can beconfigurable as a peer (of a peer-to-peer shared image networkconfiguration) that monitors the shared images that are being capturedas to select a variety of shared images from multiple shared imagedevices.

In certain embodiments, a status indicator can be provided, either onthe shared image device or separately, and which indicates to othersthat a particular shared image device is in its share mode. One exampleof a status indicator may be an indicator light, or an “active”indicator on the display of the shared image device. Other statusindicators may display some information pertaining to the particularsharing session.

EXAMPLES OF VIEWFINDERS FOR SHARED IMAGE DEVICES

In certain embodiments, but not others, a sharing mechanism might beconsidered to function as a virtual picture frame or viewfinder thatallows remotely-located shared image devices such as digital cameras orcamcorders to capture shared images. Viewfinders therefore provide amechanism for one shared image device (which may be configurable aseither a peripheral shared image device, a capturing shared imagedevice, and/or another shared image device) to observe an image that hasbeen, or is being, captured by another shared image device (which may beconfigurable as either a peripheral shared image device, a capturingshared image device, and/or another shared image device). As such,certain embodiments of viewfinders may be considered as operating to“share another shared image device's viewfinder”. In one embodiment, aviewfinder at a first shared image device can display at least oneimage, or a portion thereof, that is being imaged at a second sharedimage device. The second shared image device acts by displaying at leasta portion of the at least one image that is displayed by the firstshared image device as it could appear at the first shared image device.Those embodiments of shared image devices 101 that are provided withviewfinders can be used by users to perform a variety of processingrelated to the shared images including, but not limited to, viewing theshared images, selecting those shared images to keep and those todiscard, determine those shared images that will undergo furtherprocessing, and determine those shared images to select an increasedresolution version of (e.g., when provided with thumbnails, imageinformation or portions thereof, or metadata describing the image). Forexample, certain embodiments of viewfinders may display thumbnails ofshared images. From the thumbnails, the user determines those sharedimages that are to be accessed in more detail (e.g., having a greaterresolution).

FIG. 28 shows one embodiment of a sharing menu 800 that is integratedwithin a shared image device 101. The sharing menu 800 can be integratedas a portion of the viewfinder of certain embodiments of the sharedimage device 101 (e.g., such as being located on the display of theshared image device). The shared image device can allow a user to join aparticular session, for which they are proximately located using one ofthe above-described mechanisms such as geographic proximity, proximityby communications link, and/or proximity by password.

The sharing menu 800 can include a variety of questions, such asincluding input for the name and/or identity of the user, the userpassword, indicating whether this shared image device is the masterdevice for a particular session, and indicating whether the particularsession has a prescribed duration, and if so, when is the timeout. Theembodiment of the sharing menu 800 as described with respect to FIG. 28is illustrative in nature, and not limiting in scope. In actuality, thesharing menu 800 can have a variety of appearances, shapes, and/orquestions.

FIG. 16 shows one embodiment of a viewfinder 900 that is integratedwithin a shared image device 101. As described with respect to FIG. 16,the shared image device 101, such as a digital camera or camcorder, maybe configurable to capture and/or retain shared images. Alternatively,the shared image device 101 can be a portable image storage and/ordisplay device, or a computer to obtain and/or retain shared images.Certain embodiments of shared image devices do not include theviewfinder 900, and as such would not be used to display shared images.In this disclosure, the viewfinder 900 refers not only to traditionaloptical viewfinders, but also to liquid crystal display (LCD) or otherdisplays such as might be located on the back of the digital camera orcamcorder.

As described with respect to FIG. 16, the shared image device 101 is incommunication via a communication link of 104 with the capturing sharedimage device 101 c. For example, the capturing shared image device 101 cis configurable for capturing images, certain ones of which can beshared images. The viewfinder 900 can thereby display certain imagescaptured by the instant shared image device 101 over a local capturingportion 908 of the viewfinder 900, and also display images captured bythe remote capturing shared image device 101 c over a remote capturingportion 910 of the viewfinder. For example, shown in FIG. 16 are images1 and 2 from a shared image device 1, and images 1 and 2 from a separateshared image device 2; these images may serve as examples of sharedimages. In addition, different embodiments of the shared image device101 as described with respect to FIG. 16 are configured as a capturingshared image device (that can capture an image), or alternately as aperipheral shared image device. As an aside, note that although acertain configuration of the local capturing portion 908 and the remotecapturing portion 910 are shown, in certain embodiments of theviewfinder 900 other configurations/locations of the remote capturingportion 910 in addition to the local capturing portion 908 are possible.

The selection of a relative display of the remote capturing portion 910relative to the local capturing portion 908 over the viewfinder 900 is adesign choice, and the present description is not intended to belimiting in scope. For example, the remote capturing portion 910 of theviewfinder 900 can be provided relative to the local capturing portion908 as an overlying window, an underlying window, a top or bottomwindow, an additional box, overlying text that is physically typed abovethe local capturing portion 908, or a variety of other configurationsthat are known to those skilled in graphical user interfaces (GUIs) suchas Windows (as designed and made commercially available by Microsoft)and Mac (as designed and made commercially available by Apple Computer).Also described with respect to FIG. 16 is a feedback line 906 thatprovides a user interface between a shared image device 101 and anothershared image device 101 c. The embodiment of the feedback line 906 asdescribed with respect to FIG. 16 allows a user at a local shared imagedevice 101 to provide imaging input to a shared image device 101 c.Certain embodiments of the feedback line 906 can be configurable as awireless link, similar in configuration to the communication link 104.In certain embodiments, the feedback line 906 can be integral with thecommunication link 104. Utilizing certain embodiments of the feedbackline 906, the user at the shared image device 101 thereby providesfeedback to the remote capturing shared image device 101 c as to whatthey want to see, or to particulars of capturing current or futureimages.

In one embodiment, the feedback line 906 includes an audio transmissionline, by which one user can indicate to another user at the shared imagedevice 101 c to, perhaps, move the particular shared image device 101 cto another location, detect a different field of view, zoomed in or out,otherwise adjust the settings of the capturing shared image device,provide a shared image, do not provide a shared image, capture anothershared image, to not capture another shared image, or perform a varietyof other task(s) with the shared image device 101 c.

Non-verbal instructions, similar in nature to those described as beingtransmitted over the audio version of the feedback line 906, can also betransmitted over a text-based or other graphical version of the feedbackline. For example, a user in one shared image device can indicate to auser and another shared image device to scan in another direction byusing a series of the arrows or other recognizable indicators that aretransmitted utilizing GUI nomenclature via the feedback line 906. Oneuser can also type to a remote user to zoom in or out.

The different embodiments of the feedback line 906 can be added, inaddition to those feedback lines that are integral with eachcommunication link 104, as described in this disclosure. Increasing thetypes and amount of communications that can be transmitted utilizing thefeedback line 906 can thereby provide more interaction between the usersand remotely-located shared image devices, thereby potentially improvingan overall image sharing experience.

As described in this disclosure, certain embodiments of the viewfinder900 thereby can be configurable in a variety of configurations todisplay the images in a variety of formats depending upon the type ofthe shared image device, the volume of data that is available to storetherein, the amount of shared images that actually are stored therein,and the user input.

The viewfinder 900 may be utilized in a variety of shared image devices101 to display certain shared images. As such, a first shared imagedevice can capture or copy a shared image, or a portion thereof, from asecond shared image device at a remote location from the first sharedimage device. Under these circumstances, the first shared image devicecan actually utilize the imaging aspects or equipment of the secondshared image device. Instead of photographing a vision or scene withmultiple shared image devices, the scene can be photographed by only onedevice, and the distributed images can be combined to be copied orshared with other shared image devices.

It is thereby possible in certain embodiments to utilize another sharedimage devices' viewfinder 900 including the local capturing portion 908and the remote capturing portion 910; such that one user can see what'son somebody else's shared image device. Suppose, for example, one sharedimage device that is at a child's birthday party is positioned at aswing while a second is at a swimming pool. It may be desirable toswitch between the images that appear in the viewfinder 900 of themultiple shared image devices. Such viewfinders can exist in manyembodiments of the peripheral shared image device 101 d that isproviding some operation information over the communication link 104 ato the capturing shared image device 101 e (see e.g. FIG. 20) to controlan operation of the capturing shared image device.

This use of switching viewfinders 900 for the shared image devices canalso be applied to business, educational, personal, or otherapplications. For example, there might be multiple blackboards orwhiteboards in a classroom that can be captured by multiple shared imagedevices. Alternatively, a user may wish to view what is going on in oneclass while attending another. Certain embodiments of the shared imagedevice as described in this disclosure can thereby, essentially,bookmark activities at another shared image device.

In certain applications, it may therefore be worthwhile to view somebodyelse's viewfinder 900 as opposed to just obtaining or retaining sharedimages that might have been captured. This also provides a technique toview the viewfinder 900 of another shared image device. For example, oneshared image device can be used to indicate to a second shared imagedevice that the subject of the first shared image device; as such,please capture an image at the second shared image device for the firstshared image device.

Sharing or copying images between multiple shared image devices canthereby be considered as copying a captured image from the capturingshared image device to the other shared image devices (such other sharedimage devices can be configurable either as a capturing and/orperipheral shared image device). The quality, resolution, and othercharacteristics of each shared image are initially determined by theimage in properties of the capturing shared image device that capturedthat shared image.

Consider that, in one embodiment, a first shared image device has ahigher resolution compared to other shared image device(s), such thatrelatively high quality shared images can be copied and distributed withother shared image devices (that are only capable of capturing lowerresolution shared images). In certain sharing sessions, the best, orhighest resolution, shared image device, or those used by the bestphotographer, can be used to capture shared images or portions thereoffor other sharing devices in the sharing session. Each image orphotograph can be captured by the particular desired capturing sharedimage device (highest resolution, least memory used, flash capability,demonstrated ability to take good shared images, etc.). The sharedimages captured by multiple shared image devices can then be copied orshared into each desired shared image device.

As such, a particular user may have a number of capturing shared imagedevices, each shared image device is considered optimal to capture aparticular type of image. The sharing mechanism as described in thisdisclosure thereby allows the shared image that is being captured byeach of these capturing shared image devices to be transferred betweenthese multiple shared image devices to one or more selected shared imagedevices. Those images received by the selected shared image device fromeach of these “optimized” shared image devices are thereby identical tothose images captured by the capturing shared image device.

Certain embodiments of the viewfinder 900 provide a mechanism by whichthe shared image device displays those images which, in time, can becopied to at least one other shared image device.

In one embodiment, the viewfinder 900 is used to subscribe to data fromother shared image devices. New functionality might be provided to oneshared image device based on the images, data, and/or information beingshared or copied from other shared image devices. For example, theviewfinder 900 might annotate its display to show which geographic areashave been sufficiently captured or covered by previous shared images. Inthe case where the shared image device 101 is a digital camera orcamcorder, that new functionality may include an enhanced resolution, anocclusion removal, etc.

The viewfinder 900 can be utilized to publish the presence of itsinformation to users. For example, the viewfinder might annotate itsdisplay to show those areas of a shared image that are most desired byother users. The user looking through the viewfinder 900 might alter thesubject of the current shared image (such as by changing direction orzooming) based on what it detects as the most valuable people, places,or other subjects to photograph. Within this disclosure, the term“valuable” is highly subjective, and can refer to, e.g., an area thathas not already been captured by other cameras (for example a particularchild at a birthday party who has not been frequently imaged, a remotecorner of a park at a particular time of day, a publicly-knownindividual, a group of individuals, or a person involved in an activityspecifically requested by someone). Such determination of a particularlyvaluable individual or image can be input manually, or somewhatautomatically using a recognition program or positioning program.

In certain embodiments, the viewfinder 900 can also indicate what hasalready been shared. Using image processing techniques, prior sharedimages can be considered. For example, children at a birthday partywhose images have been captured (photographed) frequently might, incertain embodiments, appear differently within the viewfinder 900compared to those having few captured images. In one embodiment, a userof a shared image device such as a digital camera or camcorder visuallyscans around a room during a sharing session such as a birthday party,and those kids who have been photographed often might get someindication on the viewfinder 900. As an example, less captured subjectsmay “sparkle” compared with more captured subjects. In one embodiment,such functionality can be provided depending largely on the real-timerecognizers that can analyze or store the identity of particularindividuals. Areas in the viewfinder 900 that are more valuable tophotograph might sparkle or display an outline or be color-coded incertain embodiments of the viewfinders for the shared image devices. Anexplicit monetary value indicator might also be associated with thesevaluable areas.

In certain embodiments, positional information such as those from globalpositioning system (GPS), metadata, or those including reference to somegeographic location, particular individual, or setting can be used toindicate where certain pictures have been captured. For example, ifoutdoors, then GPS derived positional information can be used toindicate the physical location, and therefore information about thesubject, of a particular photograph.

Consider that the viewfinder 900 display indicates that a large numberof pictures have been captured of the same birthday cake, etc. Incertain embodiments, this similar-composition shared image can beapplied to devices lacking a sharing mechanism, as well as a sharedimage device 101. For example, if a particular user has captured a largenumber of images of one particular object, they would likely want tohave an indication of it so that they can change the subject of furtherimages. In another embodiment, perhaps a birds-eye view can be providedon at least some of the shared image devices to indicate where priorshared images in the sharing session have been captured. The recognitionoperation can vary widely in scope. For example, in one embodiment,positional information relating to where shared images have beencaptured could be indicated and searched, based on derived GPScoordinates and/or other positional information. In one embodiment,those shared images that the current shared image device (or anyparticular shared image device) has captured can be highlighted in somemanner along the bottom, side, top, etc. of the viewfinder 900.

In certain embodiments, pictures can be sorted based on color schemes,or color map queries. An example might be considering N shared imagesthat appear most similar to M shared images (where M and N identifyparticular shared images) from a computational perspective. In thoseinstances, images that have been stored in memory can be quicklyaccessed and returned to one or more of shared image devices. This typeof task can be configured to, for example, view images chronologically,based on their subject, based on their location, or based on theirvalue, etc. can be achieved using commercially available patternrecognition programs that are configured to recognize such patterns.Instead of viewing the shared images based on their time sequences, theimages are sorted based at least partially on composition in certainembodiments of shared image devices. Image processing or signalprocessing techniques can be applied to the shared image devices todetermine certain characteristics of the shared images.

As technology improves, more memory storing-capabilities will likely beprovided to many individual shared image devices such as digitalcameras, camcorders, printers, and other such capturing and peripheraldevices. The cost of individual digital shared images will likelycontinue to decrease as the associated technology improves. The sharingor copying of a considerable number of shared images from one capturingshared image device to another will become more affordable, especiallyas memory storage cost drops.

Other types of shared image sorting, shared image querying, or sharedimage storing techniques may be provided by a computer after the sharedimages could have been obtained or retained from a digital camera,camcorder, or web site. However, this feature will also likely be usefulfor the sharing mechanism between multiple shared image devices.

In one embodiment, the most recently input information (e.g., one or fewshared images) of the sessions shared image devices 101, such as digitalcameras, can also be shown on the viewfinder 900 such as shown withrespect to FIGS. 16 and 22-25. For example, display the last five or tenshared images captured in one embodiment. In another embodiment,thumbnails of the images as described with respect to FIG. 23 can beprovided (e.g., the last four thumbnails that provide an image having agreatly reduced resolution and dimension from the original image).Alternatively, the metadata can also indicate the time that each imagehas been captured by the member shared image devices that have beenparticipating in the session (e.g., organize by the latest capturedimages). These figures are intended to be illustrative in nature, notlimiting in scope.

In certain above-described embodiments of the viewfinders 900 asdescribed for example with respect to FIGS. 16, and 22-26, the remotecapturing portion 910 can be inserted as a distinctive window or textthat is layered above a separate local capturing portion 908. Thisviewfinder configuration enhances use of the local viewfinder whilemonitoring shared images that might have originated from remote devices.

A variety of viewfinder displays can be provided, such as illustrated inFIGS. 25 and 26. The embodiment of the viewfinder 900 as described withrespect to FIG. 25 contains an inset portion 1402 that indicates howmany images have been taken at a particular session in each of a varietyof geographic locations. For example, the number of photographs taken ina living room, kitchen area, dining room, or outside is indicated. Thenumber of images that have been captured can further be segmentedaccording to the configuration of the particular shared image devices(e.g., the total captured images that have been captured in the livingroom include three from shared image device 1, five from shared imagedevice 2, etc.). The geographic positioning of the shared images canfurther be displayed in any desired manner. Such description of thenumber of images taken within portions of houses can be indicated by auser inputting, for example, the general layout and positioning of therooms within the house using, for example, software that the user canuse to draw the various rooms.

The user of each shared image device might thereupon be prompted as tothe specific room, region, or other locational area in which aparticular shared image can be captured. Alternately, additionalpositioning equipment such as a GPS unit can be installed in each sharedimage device, and the locations of the photographs and thereupon beapplied to the particular rooms depending upon the derived GPS positions(e.g., as described by metadata).

Another embodiment of the viewfinder 900 is described with respect tothe inset 1502 of FIG. 26, in which the view finder indicates the numberof images taken of each subject within the session. Certain embodimentsof the viewfinder 900 can indicate the number of images taken of eachsubject by each respective shared image device. The inset 1502indicates, for example, that only two images have been captured ofJessie, and as such, she might be a prime candidate to be the subject ofmore images. Such indications of the number of images taken of eachparticular subject can be either manual (e.g., each user of a sharedimage device indicates the name of the subject for each image) orsubstantially automatic (e.g., the shared image device contains somerecognition device that recognizes the identity of each subject for theshared images captured during the session, and thereby determines theidentity of the subject for each image). There can be a number ofdifferent embodiments or versions of recognition software that can beutilized in different embodiments of the shared image devices, asdescribed within this disclosure.

Certain embodiments of a status insert 1504, as included in theviewfinder 900 as described with respect to FIG. 26, can indicate thepercentage of the resources for the shared image device that have beenutilized. The used resources as indicated in the status insert 1504 caninclude, for example, the number of images taken, the number of imagesremaining, the percentage of storage memory remaining, the amount ofbattery life remaining, etc. Certain embodiments of the viewfinder asdescribed with respect to FIG. 26 can be configurable to obtain orretain shared images. The rate of obtaining or retaining by that sharedimage device as well as the memory storage size of that shared imagedevice largely determines how much time will remain until someprescribed duration is reached for capturing shared images.

As such, metadata can be associated with a particular shared image. Forexample, metadata can indicate a camera in a sharing session that tookthe shared image, the owner of the camera that took the shared image,the geographic location that the shared image was captured, the identityof an individual being imaged, subject of the shared image, the identityof the particular sharing session, etc.

Another embodiment of the viewfinder 900 displays the local capturingportion 908 within the remote capturing portion 910 as described withrespect to FIG. 27. These embodiments of viewfinders can be used toprovide a view of a combined image that can be captured. For example,the combined image that is captured by the shared image device largelyreflects that provided within the viewfinder, in which a local subjectcontained within the local capturing portion 908, can be inserted into aremote capturing portion that may have been previously or remotelyimaged. The combined image that is imaged can thereby, for example, beformed by combining at least a portion of a first image captured at alocal capturing portion 908 (e.g., captured by a local shared imagedevice) with at least a portion of a second image captured at a remotecapturing portion 910 (e.g., captured either by the local or by a remoteshared image device). For example, the viewfinder 900 as shown in FIG.27 can illustrate the appearance of the combined image to a user overthe viewfinder 900.

In one embodiment, the local shared image device can be provided with apanoramic vision. The panoramic view formed partially by including othershared images can be configured to appear in the viewfinder 900 as aghosted feature as displayed in FIG. 27. For example, the area outsideof the dotted lines in FIG. 27 might represent those images takenpreviously, such as a picture of Mt. Rushmore, Yosemite, portions of NewYork, etc., typically on a sunny day, at sunset, or at some otherparticularly photogenic period. The currently-imaged portion that isshown within the dotted lines can include the local capturing portion908, which in many cases includes the immediate subject (e.g., wife,family, etc.). It is to be understood that certain embodiments of theshared image devices may not only share substantially-simultaneouslycaptured images, but they may also share multiple images that have beencaptured at different times, different days, and even at differentlocations compared to when one or more portions of the images have beentaken.

A variety of graphical user interface (GUI) techniques can be appliedwhere the local capturing portion 908 is integrated within the remotecapturing portion 910, as described with respect to FIG. 27. Suchvarying techniques of overlaying GUI windows, for example, are familiarto many users and designers of windows-based operating systems such asWindows or Mac.

It might be interesting, for example, to combine multiple ones of theseshared images using a similar ghosted feature to provide a single sharedimage. Similarly, embodiment involves providing a three-dimensionalshared image using multiple photographs (e.g., two, three, or more) ofthe same shared object from different angles. A variety of imagingapplications, such as providing a driving or aircraft simulator, may beaccomplished in which a variety of shared images are overlaying othershared images, at which certain of the overlaying shared images caninclude motion images to our present, for example, motion of instrumentsassociated with such simulators. Such interlaying of images may providea particularly realistic image.

From another aspect, such overlaying of static and/or motion images asassociated with many embodiments of a share mechanism described withinthis disclosure relative to some description of where to place aparticular shared room image device to achieve some multi-image effectwith other shared image devices utilizing windowing or similar GUItechniques. Some software can be utilized to achieve thepanoramic/3-dimensional/or other effects as desired. Certain embodimentsof viewfinders for shared image devices involves using other people'sshared image devices such as cameras, to insert old bookmarks atlocations in where their cameras could have been located.

One viewfinder 900 embodiment involves using other people's shared imagedevices such as cameras, and put old bookmarks at locations in wheretheir cameras could have been located.

In yet another embodiment, the viewfinder 900 of the shared image devicecan be provided with an indicator that provides positional informationas to where the images have been taken. Such positional information canrange from, but not be limited to, metadata that contains thelatitude/longitude, GPS waypoint, within a known commercial location(e.g., at Sears@), at some residential location (within the living roomat the Jones'), etc.

EXAMPLES OF VARIABLE RESOLUTION

Different embodiments of the shared image devices can provide imageswith different resolutions. In fact, certain shared image devices canalter the resolution of their images. Certain embodiments of sharedimage devices can increase the number of images that can be shared orimaged by adjusting the resolution of one or more of the images. Incertain embodiments of shared image devices, the entirety of, portionsof, or information relating to, the images captured during a sharingsession can be viewed on the viewfinder of the shared image device.Conceivably, the ones that a user has captured, or that satisfy someother criteria, will be accepted at the highest resolution. Varying theimage resolution therefore partially pertains to the capacity of theshared image device, as described above. Other images will be acceptedat low resolutions. In certain embodiments, the lower resolution imagescan be kept, rejected, or selected having a corresponding higherresolution image obtained or retained in the future.

Commercially available technology can provide always-on video, forcertain embodiments of shared image devices. Such always-on technologycan likely be applied to shared image devices. As such, actuating thesharing mechanism may be one technique for determining interest of aparticular shared image, wherein another user of a shared image devicecan provide feedback via audio as to how a shared image can be altered(e.g., modify the subject, vary the resolution or zoom of the image,etc.). If the current image appears interesting, one user of a sharedimage device can turn on an audio microphone to communicate with anothershared image device, and either capture a current image and/or a currentsound. Additionally, if there is one image of particular interest, itmay be desirable to obtain or retain five images chronologically oneither side of that image that had been taken by that particular sharedimage device.

Consider a shared image device application such as a friend providinglive pictures of a ski resort, a beach area, and/or a snowy pass thathave been captured using a share mechanism, wherein the current weatherconditions make a difference. The sharing mechanism 102 can be used toaccess such information on a near-real-time basis. The images that canbe accessed on a near-real-time basis may have reduced highestresolution. As such, it may be desirable to reduce the resolution forcertain imaging applications.

The variable resolution control represents another embodiment of acapacity-control device. Consider that lower-resolution images (e.g.,thumbnails and/or metadata) generally require less memory storage thanhigher-resolution images. As such, for a given memory, a larger numberof lower-resolution images can be stored than higher-resolution images.In addition, capturing higher-resolution images often utilizes morebattery life than with lower-resolution images. All of these factor intothe type of image that is to be stored.

In many embodiments of shared image devices, converting the resolutionof images may utilize considerable device energy, such as battery life.As such, to reduce the drain on the energy expended by certainbattery-powered devices during resolution conversion processes; it maybe desired to transfer images to another shared image device(s) so thatthe other shared image device (that presumably has greater energy, suchas a printer or computer that may be plugged in) can vary the resolutionof the images. Further consider those instances where a user of a sharedimage device has filled their device with high-resolution images. Thisuser will be able to utilize capacity control by storing further imagesas thumbnails and/or metadata that in certain embodiments can beaccessed later when the user obtains or retains their current image, orotherwise obtains more memory. In certain embodiments, the user will beable to access the high-resolution versions of all of the desired imagesfrom home, or some other location, via a network.

Many shared image devices that are configured to capture images and/orotherwise process images in different resolutions. Within thisdisclosure, the term “resolution” provides a measurement of imagedetail, such as can be expressed as pixels per inch, dots per inch, orsamples per inch, etc. In certain embodiments, the files size of animage is a function of its resolution, and with certain embodiments ofrelatively limited storage-capability cameras, relatively few highresolution images can be taken. It may be desired to convert theresolution of certain images depending upon their particular applicationand/or the configuration of the particular device.

A variety of devices including, but not limited to, shared image devicescan be configured to perform a variety of functions including, but notlimited to, imaging, capturing, obtaining, retaining, storing, storingand forwarding, and/or otherwise processing images depending upon theparticular resolution(s) for that device, which may differ fromresolutions of other devices.

Changing the resolution of an image represents one example of an imagetransformation. A number of shared image devices that process images cantherefore be configurable for performing one or more imagetransformations. Within this disclosure, examples of such imagetransformations include, but are not limited to, changing the resolutionof one or more images, resampling one or more images, adjusting anexposure of one or more images, adjusting some image content recognitionof the one or more images, adjusting image composition of one or moreimages, and/or modifying at least some metadata associated with the onemore images. This disclosure provides a number of embodiments of aresolution conversion portion that can be integrated within the sharedimage device, or alternatively can be located outside of the sharedimage device and operatively coupled thereto.

The resolution conversion portion can in certain embodiments, but notothers, act to alter the resolution of images that have been captured orotherwise obtained. As described within this disclosure, certainembodiments of the resolution conversion portion are configurable toincrease or decrease the resolution of the image such as by utilizingpixel-interpolation and/or combination of multiple images. As alsodescribed within this disclosure, certain embodiments of the resolutionconversion portion are configurable to decrease or increase theresolution of the image. Different embodiments of the resolutionconversion portion are described herein. Within this disclosure, theterms “resolution conversion” and “resampling” can in many instances butnot others be considered similar, since both can involve similarprocesses of altering image intensity and/or color values. Resamplingcan in certain embodiments, but not others, be equated to sizing theresolution of an image upward or downward; and can in certainembodiments but not others can be implemented by respectively adding orremoving pixels from a given image as described in this disclosure.

Within this disclosure, the term “changing the resolution” of an imagemay pertain in certain embodiments, but not others, to altering thecolor values and/or the color intensities of a particular image. As such“increasing the resolution” of an image may pertain to increasing thedensity of pixels that can be provided with distinctly variable colorvalues or color intensities. Decreasing the resolution of an image maypertain to decreasing the density of the pixels forming the image.During a resolution conversion process, in certain embodiments of adisplay or projector, the footprint of pixels can actually be suitablyaltered to effectively change the resolution of the at least one image.

In certain embodiments of display devices or projectors, a single pixelintensity can be implemented utilizing a plurality of neighboringpixels, in which each of the neighboring pixels can each have asubstantially identical color value and intensity. As such, theplurality of pixels can act as a single pixel with a footprint thatcorresponds to the planar area encompassing the plurality of pixels.

Within this disclosure, shared image devices are considered thosedevices that are configurable to image or capture at least one imagesuch as digital cameras or camcorders. The utilization of capturingshared image devices has recently changed considerably (and is expectedto continue to change) as the expense of digital storage media continuesto decrease while the technology and ease of operation of the digitalstorage media improves. Capturing images using digital cameras orcamcorders can each be equated with photography as performed byconventional film cameras.

Certain embodiments of this disclosure thereby provide a mechanism ortechnique by which an image capturing shared image device, such as adigital camera or camcorder, can resample or perform resolutionconversion of images contained therein. Such resolution conversion orresampling techniques can be energy intensive, and therefore can utilizea considerable amount of energy from the battery of the digital camera.In many embodiments, such resampling by a device may thereby alter thenumber of pixels that can be set within an image. Images taken atdifferent resolutions can be optimized for different purposes. Forexample, if one or more particular images are intended to be displayedover a computer monitor, and the resolution of the computer monitor is alimiting factor on the displayed resolution, than a relatively lowresolution for the image may be completely satisfactory for its intendedpurpose. If a particular image is being printed on a relatively largesheet of paper as a print, then it may be desired to have a considerablyhigher resolution image for its intended purpose.

Additionally, certain images can be utilized by more than one user,and/or for more than one purpose. For example, one user may wish to haveboth a copy of an image at a particular resolution to be used for onemedia, e.g., a computer monitor; and another copy of the same image atanother resolution to be used for another media, e.g., a printed copy.As such, it may be desired to resample or convert the resolution of aparticular image based upon the intended use or desires of eachparticular user. In those instances where a camera's memory can onlystore a prescribed number of images, it may be desired to decrease theresolution of certain images, or alternatively increase the resolutionof certain images, depending upon the particular use of, and/or thedevice utilizing, those images. As such, certain embodiments of thisdisclosure provide a mechanism by which a single image, or a group ofimages of a fixed or controllable size can be resampled therein.

Advances in technology to shared image devices (such as flash memory)provide for data storage of a relatively large amount of image datawithin shared image devices. Such increases in the amount of image datathat can be stored can be reflected by more images being stored and/orat least some of the images that are being stored having a greaterresolution. In many embodiments of the shared image device as describedwithin this disclosure, it is envisioned that the shared image devicecan be provided with relatively sophisticated processing capabilities,which will allow for image processing that will allow for resamplingand/or resolution conversion.

Such resolution conversion, or resampling, as performed by theresolution conversion portion of the shared image devices, can utilize aconsiderable amount of device energy capacity. Such device energycapacity is especially important for those devices that have a limitedenergy sources, such as batteries. Within this disclosure, the sharedimage device energy capacity can be can represent a variety oftechniques including internal battery life estimate, replaceable batterylife estimate, auxiliary battery life estimate, or the like. As such, inthis disclosure, the term “energy capacity” as applied to the sharedimage device is intended to apply to the capacity of batteries or otherenergy sources that supply electrical power to the shared image device,regardless where the energy device is located or mounted with respect tothe shared image device. Some other power source from a battery, such asa continual energy supply or an uninterruptible or other energy supply,can also be applied to the shared image device while remaining withinthe scope of the present invention.

Many of the indicators 64, 66, 68, 70, and/or 72 that are included inthe device operational capacity indicator 60, as described with respectto FIG. 1, can be related to a limited energy that may be containedwithin the imaging device. As such, the indicated results of thecapacity indicators may be interrelated, and a controller 603 may beeffective in indicating, based on multiple energy considerations, thetrue operational capacity for the shared image device 101.

In one embodiment, this disclosure therefore provides a number oftechniques by which the amount of energy that is utilized by the sharedimage device to perform the resolution conversion is estimated ormonitored. The user of certain embodiments of the shared image devicecan include an indicator that provides an indication of the energynecessary to perform the conversion, in many embodiments of which canthen be compared on the indicator to the amount of energy currentlyincluded in the shared image device. Other embodiments of the sharedimage device can commence conversion of resolution of one or more imagesonly in those circumstances that the shared image device has sufficientenergy to perform the conversion.

In certain embodiments of the shared image device, the shared imagedevice energy capacity can thereby act as one limiting factor forimaging or resolution conversion for the shared image device, based onwhether the shared image device has sufficient energy to perform theoperation on one or more images. As such, other device capacitytechniques or mechanisms can include, but are not limited to, aprocessing power capacity, a storage memory capacity, or an availablecomputation time capacity. In actuality, many of the device capacitiesare related. For example, an available computation time capacity for aparticular shared image device may relate to an energy capacity for thatshared image device, such that increasing the device's energy capacityleads to an increase in the devices computation time capacity and/thedevices storage memory capacity.

Certain shared image device capacities can therefore, in certainembodiments, be considered as a limit on some prescribed process thatcan be performed by that shared image device. For example, if a sharedimage device has a limited energy supply that is sufficient to capturesome limited number of images, than the shared image device may not beable to be utilized after imaging that number of images without anenergy source charge, insertion of new batteries, etc. Differentexamples of a prescribed process that may be of interest to the user ofthe shared image device therefore include, but are not limited to,altering a resolution of an image, capturing or imaging an image,operating a flash mechanism, obtaining an image, retaining an image,storing and/or forwarding an image, etc. As such, it is to be understoodthat many of the shared image device's operational capacity capabilitiescan be heavily burdened by performing typical imaging and otherprocessor intensive operations.

This disclosure thereby provides for a number of different embodimentsof a mechanism or technique to estimate one or more operationalresources of a shared image device that are utilized to perform an imagetransformation. The mechanism or technique thereby estimates whether theshared image device has adequate operational capacity to perform theimage transformation to transform the one or more images. Differentembodiments of the image transformation estimator can include, but arenot limited to, and image resolution conversion estimator, and imageexposure adjustment estimator, and image metadata modification onestimator, an image content recognition estimator, and an imagecomposition adjustment estimator.

By estimating whether the shared image device has adequate deviceoperational capacity to perform a particular image transformation allowsthe shared image devices to perform the image transformation if it does,indeed, have sufficient operational capacity. However, if the sharedimage device does not have adequate device operational capacity toperform the particular image transformation, the shared image device cantransfer the image information to another device, that does indeed havethe capabilities to perform the image transformation. Another option isto indicate the amount of device capacity (e.g., energy) that would berequired by the shared image device to perform the particular imagetransformation, and compare that to the total device capacity for thatshared image device. As such, if a particular image transformation willconsume a large percentage of the total device capacity for a particularshared image devices, then the user may decide not to perform that imagetransformation.

Certain devices such as computers, PDAs, printers, display devices,processing devices, etc. can be provided with an electric cord or arelatively large battery, which represents a virtually infinite energysupply. There are a large variety of commercially-available shared imagedevices including, but not limited to: cameras, printers, facsimilemachines, computers, personal display assistants (PDA), etc. Each sharedimage device includes some imaging program, such as produced with thehardware, software, or firmware, that is configured to perform someimaging process that is consonant with the intended purpose of theshared image device. Examples of imaging processing techniques include,but are not limited to, data compression, data decompression, resolutionenhancement, resolution reduction, noise reduction, filtering, etc. Assuch, in certain instances users of shared image devices can considerthat it often may be beneficial to transfer some or all of the images tosuch large-capacity devices. Within the disclosure, the terms “images”,or “image information” can pertain to full images, portions of images,segments of full images, thumbnails of images, information thatdescribes particular images such as metadata (that can contain suchinformation as the subject of the image, identifying who took the image,where the image was taken, the reference number of the image, etc.).Within this disclosure, metadata can be associated with a particularimage or set of images. For example, a particular image may includemetadata that describes such information as the subject of the image,the date and time of the image, location of the image, the owner of theshared image device, etc. It is envisioned that the metadata that isassociated with the particular image can be modified as, for example,the image itself is altered such as by changing the resolution. Incertain embodiments, metadata can be used during processing of theimage. For example, if it is desired to determine all images taken by aparticular user or including a particular subject, the metadata can bequeried in certain instances to derive one or more images to satisfythat query.

Within this disclosure, the terms “image representation” or “image” canpertain to images, thumbnails of images, icons that pertain to images,portions of images, images having altered resolution, informationpertaining to images such as metadata, etc. The term “obtain” can applyto obtaining shared images either by capturing or by data transfer fromanother shared image device. The term “retain” can apply to storingshared images for some duration regardless how temporary or permanentthe storage duration within a memory storage device.

Certain embodiments of still images can include photographs or digitalimages that can be captured by the image device such as, for example, adigital camera. Certain embodiments of motion images can include videosthat may be captured by the image device such as, for example, acamcorder. A variety of embodiments of the sharing mechanism cantherefore handle such exemplary shared images as digital still images ordigital motion images that are either alone or in combination withvideo, audio, music, etc.

One embodiment of a shared image network 100 is described with respectto FIG. 6. The shared image network 100 pertains to any motion pictureimaging system or still picture imaging system that is within thedescribed intended scope of the present disclosure, unless otherwiseindicated. One embodiment of the shared image network 100 includes ashared image device 101, an optional peripheral imaging device 120, andan optional communication link 104. The shared image device 101 isconfigurable to capture images. In different embodiments, the sharedimage device 101 can be configured as, but not limited to, a digitalcamera, a camcorder, a cellular phone with picture taking capabilities,a computer or PDA with picture taking capabilities, etc. The sharedimage device 101 can be operationally sub-divided into an imagingportion 615 and data storage portion 614. Different embodiments of theshared image device 101 can capture, or photograph, a variety of imagesincluding, but not limited to, still images, motion images, video,audio, thumbprints, or other information relating to the images such asmetadata. Different embodiments of the shared image device 101 can beconfigured to capture, obtain, retain, or otherwise process a variety ofimages including, but not limited to, color images, grayscale images,etc.

Certain embodiments of the shared image device 101 can include acontroller 603 that performs the processing, imaging, operation, andother techniques that are generally associated with the shared imagedevice 101 that can benefit from utilizing automation of thosetechniques. Certain embodiments of the controller 603 include aprocessor 605, a memory 607, circuits 609, and/or an input/output (I/O)611 that may include a bus (not shown). In general, increasedcapabilities to the controller 603 will enable greater image processingtechniques by the shared image device 101, such as can be characterizedby improved resolution conversion or resampling. Different embodimentsof the computer/controller 603 can be a general-purpose computer, aspecific-purpose or devoted computer, a microprocessor, amicrocontroller, and/or any other known suitable type of computer orcontroller that can be implemented in hardware, software,electromechanical devices, and/or firmware. In certain embodiments whilenot in other embodiments, some portions, or all of, the controller 603that can be physically or operationally configured in each image device.In certain embodiments, the processor 605 performs the processing,filtering, resolution conversion, arithmetic, and/or other operationsfor the controller 603 with respect to the shared image device 101. Thecontroller 603 controls the signal processing, database querying andresponse, computational, timing, data transfer, and other processesassociated with the shared image device.

Certain embodiments of the memory 607 include random access memory (RAM)and read only memory (ROM) that together store the computer programs,operands, and other parameters that control the operation of the sharedimage device. The bus provides for digital information transmissionsbetween processor 605, circuits 609, memory 607, and I/O 611. The busalso connects I/O 611 to the portions of image devices, such as theperipheral imaging device 120 to suitably transfer data; which thereuponeither receives digital information from and/or transmits digitalinformation to other portions of the shared image network 100 or theshared image device 101.

I/O 611 provides an interface to control the transmissions of digitalinformation between each of the components in the controller 603. TheI/O 611 also provides an interface between the components of thecontroller 603 and different portions of the shared image device. Thecircuits 609 can include such other user interface devices as a displayand/or a user input portion. The I/O 611 thereby provides a mechanism bywhich image information, at least portions of images, and/or metadataassociated with images can be transmitted between the shared imagedevice 101 and other devices including, but not limited to, theperipheral imaging device 120 as shown in FIG. 6.

In another embodiment, the controller 603 can be constructed as aspecific-purpose computer such as an application-specific integratedcircuit (ASIC), a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or other similardevices. A distinct controller 603 can be integrated into certainembodiments of the shared image device 101, the peripheral imagingdevice 120 and/or the communication link 104, as described with respectto FIG. 6.

One embodiment of the shared image device 101 is configured to convertto the resolution of images that have been captured, retained, orobtained to a different resolution. This disclosure describes a varietyof illustrative image transformation techniques for shared image devicesas described with respect to FIGS. 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11, that are notconsidered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. For differentembodiments of the shared image device 101, depending upon thefunctional purpose of the shared image device 101 and otherconsiderations; the resolution can be converted from either a higherresolution to a lower resolution, or alternatively from a lowerresolution to a higher resolution. One aspect of such resolutionconversion as may be performed by many embodiments while not otherembodiments of the shared image devices 101, is that such resolutionconversion techniques can consume a large amount of energy for theshared image devices such as battery life.

The resolution of the images within the shared image device 101 can beadjusted manually, automatically, or semi-automatically, utilizing thedifferent embodiments of the resolution conversion techniques asdescribed herein. Such manual adjustments of the shared image device canbe performed, for example, by a user responding to input that isdisplayed on the viewfinder; and based on the users previous experience,understanding how much energy is necessary to perform such conversion.In other embodiments, altering of a resolution level can be performedsubstantially automatically utilizing the controller 603. For example,the controller 603 can receive input or monitor the current or recentenergy state or life expectancy of the battery or other energy device,consider the amount of energy utilized by the shared image device 101 toconvert the resolution of the at least one image based at leastpartially on the number of images whose resolution is to be converted.The shared image devices 101 can contain a wide variety of displays toprovide this information to the user. In many embodiments, the deviceoperational capacity indicator (e.g., an energy level indicator) of theshared image device can reduce the number of images that can be taken,and thereby increase the effective useful life of the shared imagedevice. In many embodiments, but not others, it may be desirable tolimit the energy consumed by the display similar to it being desirableto reduce the amount of energy utilized by the resolution conversion.

The image resolution conversion energy monitoring technique can alsoinclude a number of optional steps. If the shared image device does havesufficient energy to convert the resolution of the one or more images,then the shared image device can convert the one or more images from thefirst resolution to the second resolution. If the shared image devicedoes not have sufficient energy to convert the resolution of the one ormore images, then the shared image device can transfer the one or moreimages from the shared image device to a second device (such as theperipheral imaging device 120). The conversion of the resolution of theone or more images can be performed at the second device from the firstresolution to the second resolution. Presumably, the energy levelavailable to the second device that can be configured in certainembodiments as a peripheral imaging device 120 and in other embodimentsas a device that does not necessarily capture or photograph images, butinstead processes images. The ability to convert the resolution of theimages is presumably greater in the second device than in the sharedimage device, for example, the peripheral imaging device 120 can be adevice that is plugged into an electric outlet, or contain a largerbattery, to receive a substantially continual supply of electricity.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate front views of two embodiments of a sharedimage device 101 that includes energy level indicators 302. In thisdisclosure, the energy level of a particular device represents oneembodiment of the device's operational capacity. As such, the energylevel indicator 302 represents one embodiment of an operational capacityindicator. Therefore, the energy level indicator 302 can also beconsidered as an operational capacity indicator. Certain embodiments ofthe energy level indicator 302 or operational capacity indicator areconfigurable to indicate the total energy that the shared image devicehas remaining in its energy source such as, but not limited to: batterylife, additional energy source life, etc. In one embodiment, the energylevel indicator 302 is provided within a camera display or viewfinder304 that is contained within the shared image device 101. Certainembodiments of the camera displays or viewfinders 304 can be providedfor such shared image devices as digital cameras or camcorders, and caninclude liquid crystal display (LCD) displays, optical displays, and avariety of other displays. In certain embodiments of the energy levelindicator 302, the energy level indicator can be temporarily provided ina manner that can be controlled by the user of the shared image device101. As such, if the user sought to see, or visually monitor, the energylevel, then a menu-driven option could be selected or alternatively abutton could be pressed to display (or alternatively, to deselect to notdisplay) the energy level. In other embodiments of the shared imagedevice 101, the energy level indicator 302 can be provided separatelyfrom the camera display or viewfinder such as being built in, as aseparate display, within the body of the shared image device.

In one embodiment of the shared image device 101, the amount of energyutilized by the shared image devices to perform an image resolutionconversion process of one, or more of the images relating to the sharedimage device can generally be determined based either on prior devicehistory, are generally on operations by similar shared image devices.For example, a user of the shared image device 101 may understand thatresolution conversion of 15 images having a particular pixel dimension(and color value) may utilize 20 percent of the energy of the sharedimage device. As such, in one embodiment, the energy level indicator 302can indicate the number of images that can be imaged by the shared imagedevice based upon the current energy level of the shared image device.Within this disclosure, the amount of energy necessary to perform aparticular resolution conversion is intended to be illustrative innature, and not limited in scope. As an illustrative example, if theenergy level indicator 302 indicates that the shared image device has40% of its energy remaining, the user may not desire to perform aresolution conversion on a relatively large number of images (e.g., 50images).

Such resolution conversion depending, at least in part, on energy of theshared image devices 101 can be automated, or semi-automated, as well bysuitable programming within the controller 603. It may be desired incertain embodiments of the shared image device to illustrate the numberof images that have their resolution converted, based on the particularenergy level from the energy level indicator 302 of the shared imagedevice 101. For example, FIG. 8 shows one embodiment of an imageresolution conversion numerical indicator 402 that indicates, based onthe particular energy level indicated by the energy level indicator 302,that twelve images can have their resolution converted as indicated bythe image resolution conversion numerical indicator 402. Since, incertain embodiments of the shared image device 101 while not in others,the structure and operation of the image resolution conversion numericalindicator 402 and the energy level indicator 302 can be associated witheach other, and such association can be indicated on the camera displayor viewfinder based largely upon their relative positioning such as, forexample, positioning the two indicators 302, and 402 near to each otherwithin a shared image device display or viewfinder 304, or in anotherportion of the shared image device for different embodiments of theshared image device.

The particular configuration of the energy level indicator 302 and tothe image resolution conversion numerical indicator 402, as illustratedwith respect to FIG. 8, is intended to be illustrative in nature, whilenot limiting in scope. For example, the image resolution conversionnumerical indicator 402 can also be a bar graph that indicates thenumber of similar images to those that are being considered to beresampled, that can be resampled, based upon the current energy level ofthe shared image device. As such, depending on the particular operation,dimension, and desired appearance of the image resolution conversionnumerical indicator 402 or the energy level indicator 302, either of theindicators 402 or 302 can be configured as a numeric indicator, as text,as a bar graph, as a graph, as a percentage indicator, or as any othernumerical or percentage indicator as desired. It is also to beunderstood that the indicators 302 or 402 can be configured to appear asdesired based upon user input, device utilization, and device condition,and be non-visible during other times. For example, when a user isproviding input to alter the resolution, it is likely that bothindicators 302 and 402 should be made visible over the camera display orviewfinder. During other periods, the indicators 302 or 402 may not beshown in certain embodiments of the shared image device 101.

As described in this disclosure, there are a number of embodiments ofresolution conversion to be performed by certain embodiments of theshared image device 101. Such imaging conversion processes can begenerally categorized as either increasing the resolution or decreasingthe resolution of images being taken by, contained within, or retainedwithin the shared image device 101.

EXAMPLES OF ESTIMATING IMAGE TRANSFORMATION

FIG. 9 shows one embodiment of a resolution conversion process thatincreases the resolution of the images. Considering this resolutionconversion technique, a number of current pixels 903 (four shown) arecontained in the original image prior to the resolution conversionprocess. A number of added pixels 905 (eight shown) are added by theresolution conversion process. A color value is assigned to each addedpixel 905 depending upon the position of the added pixel with respect toone or more other current pixels 903. For example, and in oneembodiment, if an added pixel is located between two current pixels,than each color value (the color value may be subdivided into threecolor values including red, green, and blue in one embodiment, orgrayscale in another embodiment) can be determined as a mathematicalfunction based at least in one part on the distance between the currentpixels, in the color values of each current pixel. For illustrativepurposes only, assume that in the upper row of FIG. 9, the top leftcurrent pixel has a blue-color value of six, and the top right currentpixel has the blue color value of nine. Since there are two added pixelsbetween the two current pixels in the upper row, following mathematicaloperations such as may be performed by calculator, and/or by computer,or by other techniques in certain embodiments, wherein the lefthandedadded pixel in the upper row of FIG. 9 might be expected to have a bluecolor value of seven assigned thereto, while the right handed addedpixel in the upper row might be expected to have a blue color value ofeight. Such mathematical computations can be applied to data storage inone dimension, or two dimensions in different embodiments. In thoseinstances that the color value does not mathematically round off evenly,in certain embodiments but not others, the color value can be assignedto the next-closest integer or fractional value provided by the sharedimage device. Similar numerical computation can be preformed for each ofthe green color value, red color value, and/or gray-scale color valueand supplies to the particular image(s) whose resolution is beingconverted. Such mathematical functions that are utilized to derive thecolor values of the added pixels can depend, at least in part, onwell-known and established mathematical weighing operations that couldbe performed within the controller 603 and as described with respect toFIG. 6.

While one embodiment of the resolution conversion process, that isutilized to increase at the resolution of a stored image, is describedwith respect to the upper row of current pixels and added pixels in FIG.9 along a single axis (e.g., in the horizontal direction), suchtechniques can also be applied along another axis, or even along adiagonal, utilizing generally known weighing techniques such asdescribed in a large variety of textbooks and articles, and commerciallyavailable in a variety of products and textbooks.

In a number of embodiments of the resolution conversion techniques ofcertain shared image devices 101, the actual dimension (e.g., footprint)or the intensity of light generated by the pixel can be modified by theconversion. For example, even though FIG. 9 shows a number ofembodiments of current pixels having a number of pixels addedtherebetween during a resolution conversion technique, in certainembodiments, the current dimensions of the pixels may utilize aconsiderable amount of space, such that the display or viewfinder wouldnot allow the addition of added pixels of the same dimension in betweenthe current pixels. In those embodiments, the footprint of each currentpixel over the display may be decreased in dimension, in such a mannerthat the added pixels can be inserted within an existing pixel array. Incertain embodiments, to increase a resolution, the color intensity ofthe current pixels can be reduced, and a color intensity of theremaining pixels can compensate for the reduced intensity. As such, theoverall color intensity values of the image can be maintained, theresolution of the image can be improved, and the final image can appearsharper following the increase of resolution in many embodiments of theshared image devices 101.

Another embodiment of resolution conversion process such as can beperformed by the controller 603 of FIGS. 6 and/or 15 is described withrespect to FIG. 10. The FIG. 10 embodiment of resolution conversionprocess acts to decrease the resolution of an original image. Forexample, the original image will contain the remaining pixels 1003 aswell as the removed pixels 1005 as shown in FIG. 10. One embodiment ofthe resolution conversion process acts to remove any illumination orcolor projected by the removed pixels 1005 from the original indentureto produce the decreased resolution image. As such, in certainembodiments, only certain pixels are selected to be the remaining pixels1003 whose color values are maintained, while the color values of theremoved pixels 1005 are effectively discarded.

In another embodiment of the resolution conversion process that acts asa resolution reduction technique, as described with respect to FIG. 10,at least certain ones of the color values of the removed pixels are notdiscarded, however they may be stored for latter computational ordisplay use. Such embodiments of resolution reduction techniques canutilize stored color values for the removed pixels to, at leastpartially, reconstruct the original image. As such, certain embodimentsof resolution conversion processes (including both the resolutionreduction and resolution increasing techniques) would utilize anon-trivial amount of energy to perform.

In certain embodiments of the shared image device, during certainembodiments of the decreasing resolution technique such as describedwith respect to FIG. 10, the actual dimension of the remaining pixelscan be modified, and/or the intensity of each of the pixels can beadjusted, to compensate for the removal of the remote pixels. Forexample, in one embodiment, as described with respect to FIG. 10, thecolor intensity information pertaining to each of the removed pixels canmirror one or more of the color value for the remaining pixels. Forexample, in one embodiment, assuming that the remaining pixel in theupper left-hand side of the array of pixels has given color value, andfive removed pixels can be assigned the same value as the upper-leftremaining pixel (or any other selected remaining pixel). In anotherembodiment, each pixel area corresponding to a removed pixel can beassigned by a new color intensity pixel value, relating to some weightedvalue pertaining to distances to proximate remaining pixels.

In yet other embodiments, the dimension of a particular remaining pixelcan be applied to similar areas as an original remaining pixel, whereinthe actual dimensions of the image is produced. As such, in the image asdescribed with respect to FIG. 10, the final image may be e.g., somefraction as wide and another fraction as high as the original image.

By decreasing the resolution, and in certain embodiments of the sharedimage device, a relatively large number of images can be stored and/orreviewed. In many embodiments, the resolution can be reduced withoutseriously altering the resulting images, depending partially on theintended use of the image. For example, assume that a shared imagedevice is being utilized to capture images of a house being sold. Underthese instances, the resulting images of relatively low-resolutionimages are perfectly satisfactory to convey the desired informationabout that particular application. As technology improves, manyembodiments of shared image devices are provided with high resolutioncapabilities. The present disclosure thereby provides a number ofmechanisms to be able to modify the resolution (either increase ordecrease the resolution), after a particular image has been captureddepending upon the particular resolution.

Another embodiment of resolution conversion process such as can beperformed by the controller 603 of FIGS. 6 and/or 15 is described withrespect to FIG. 11. The FIG. 11 embodiment of the resolution conversionprocess acts to increase the resolution of the original image that isbeing processed to the combined image. In general, the FIG. 11embodiment of the resolution conversion process combines original imageA with original image B to produce the combined image. The resolutionconversion process relies upon interleaving the pixels from the originalimage A with the pixels from the original image B. While the originalimage A and the original image B is shown in FIG. 11 as having similarresolution, it is to be understood that the resolution of the originalimages can vary in many embodiments of the resolution conversionprocess. The pixels from the different original images can beinterleaved within the same row, within the same column, on the diagonalbasis, and/or any combination thereof. The embodiment of the resolutionconversion process as described with respect to FIG. 11 therefore doesnot destroy any of the color values as described in this disclosure, butin fact interleaves the pixels while maintaining their color value toproduce the combined image.

Certain embodiments of the resolution enhancement techniques asdescribed with respect to FIG. 11 therefore may not utilize the amountof mathematical computation to derive the color values in certainembodiments of the resolution enhancement techniques as described withrespect to FIG. 9. In many embodiments, it is important that at leastportions of the original image portions be taken of the same generalimage. In certain embodiments, however the original image portions canbe taken from different angles, at different times, from differentlocations, etc. as desired by the user to create a desired image. Suchcombining of original images to derive a desired combined image may, incertain embodiments, provide more of an impression of depth, orthree-dimensionality, to the combined image as well as increasing theresolution of the combined image.

One embodiment of a high-level flowchart of the resolution conversiontechnique 1700 that is described with respect to FIGS. 17 a and 17 b,and which includes operations 1702 and 1724; in addition to optionaloperations 1720 and 1722. Operations 1702 can include optionaloperations 1704, 1706, 1708, 1710, 1711, 1712, 1714, and 1716. Thehigh-level flowchart of FIGS. 17 a and 17 b should be considered incombination with the shared image device 101, as described with respectto FIG. 20. Operation 1702 can include, but is not limited to,processing image information at least partially at a shared image deviceto at least partially derive processed image information, wherein theimage information corresponds to, but has a different resolution than,the processed image information. For example, the shared image device101 d of FIG. 20 processing image information to at least partiallyderive processed information, wherein the image information has adifferent resolution and the processed image information. The processingimage information at least partially at a shared image device to atleast partially derive processed image information of operations 1702can include operations 1704 that can include, but is not limited to,converting the image information to a higher resolution image to atleast partially derive the processed image information. For example, theshared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 converting the image information toa higher resolution image to at least partially derive the processedimage information. The processing image information at least partiallyat a shared image device to at least partially derive processed imageinformation of operation 1702 can include, but is not limited to,operations 1706 that includes, but is not limited to, converting theimage information to a higher resolution image to at least partiallyderive the processed image information, at least in part, by employingone or more first pixel values from one or more images with one or moresecond pixel values from at least one portion of an at least one otherimage to at least partially derive the higher resolution image. Forexample, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 converting the imageinformation to a higher resolution image to at least partially deriveprocessed image information, at least in part, by employing one or morefirst pixel values from the one or more images with one or more secondpixel values from at least one portion of an at least one other image,similar to as described with respect to FIG. 11. The processing imageinformation at least partially at a shared image device to at leastpartially derive processed image information of operations 1702 caninclude operations 1708, that can include, but is not limited to,converting the image information to a higher resolution image to atleast partially derive the processed image information, at least inpart, by performing a mathematical operation relative to at least someexistent pixel values of one or more images to derive at least somecomputed pixel values. For example, the shared image device 101 d ofFIG. 20 converting the image information to a higher resolution image toat least partially derive the processed information, at least in part,by performing a mathematical operation relative to at least someexistent pixel values, similar as described with respect to FIG. 9. Theprocessing image information at least partially at a shared image deviceto at least partially derive processed image information of operation1702 can include operations 1710, that can include, but is not limitedto, converting the image information to a lower resolution image to atleast partially derive the processed image information. For example, theshared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 converting the image information toa lower resolution image to at least partially derive the processedimage information as described with respect to FIG. 10. The processingimage information at least partially at a shared image device to atleast partially derive processed image information of operations 1702can include operations 1711, that can include, but is not limited to,processing at least some pixel information. For example, the sharedimage device 101 d of FIG. 20 performing at least some processing onsome pixel information, such as, for example, but not limited to,filtering, darkening an image, lightening an image, etc. such as aregenerally understood in digital imaging processing technologies. See,for example, Fundamentals of Digital Image Processing, Anil K. Jain,Prentice Hall Information and System Sciences Series, 1989. Theprocessing image information at least partially at a shared image deviceto at least partially derive processed image information of operations1702 can include operations 1712, that can include, but is not limitedto, processing at least some still-image information. For example, astill-image photograph, such as captured by the digital camera, can beprocessed by the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20. The processingimage information at least partially at a shared image device to atleast partially derive processed image information of operations 1702can include operations 1714, that can include, but is not limited to,processing at least some moving-image information. For example, amoving-image such as a video can be processed by the shared image device101 d of FIG. 20. The processing image information at least partially ata shared image device to at least partially derive processed imageinformation of operation 1702 can include operation 1716, that caninclude, but is not limited to, processing at least some audioinformation. For example, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 canprocess audio information, either alone or in combination with imageinformation. In certain embodiments, optional operation 1720 caninclude, but is not limited to, detecting at the shared image device apresence of at least another shared image device that is interested insharing. For example, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 candetect the presence of another shared image device such as 101 e that isinterested in sharing. In certain embodiments, optional operation 1722can include, but is not limited to, producing the image information atthe shared image device. For example, the shared image device 101 d ofFIG. 20 produces the image information. In certain embodiments, but notothers, operation 1724 can include transmitting the processed imageinformation from the shared image device to effect sharing the processedimage information. For example, the shared image device 101 d transmitsthe processed image information to the shared image device 101 e by thecommunication link 104 a, as described with respect to FIG. 20. Theorder and/or arrangement of the operations within FIG. 17 a and 17 b areintended to be nonlimiting in scope.

One embodiment of a high-level flowchart of the resolution conversiontechnique 1800 that is described with respect to FIGS. 18 a and 18 b,and which includes operations 1802 and 1804; in addition to optionaloperations 1820 and 1822. Operations 1804 can include optionaloperations 1806, 1808, 1810, 1812, 1813, 1814, 1816, and 1818. Thehigh-level flowchart of FIGS. 18 a and 18 b should be considered incombination with the shared image device 101, as described with respectto FIG. 20. One embodiment of the operation 1802 includes, but is notlimited to, receiving at least some shared image information at a sharedimage device. For example, as described with respect to FIG. 20, sharedimage device 101 d receives at least some shared image information, suchas from the shared image device 101 e over the communication link 104 a.One embodiment of the operation 1804 includes, but is not limited to,processing the at least some shared image information at least partiallyat the shared image device to derive at least some processed sharedimage information that corresponds to, but has a different resolutionthan, the at least some shared image information. For example,processing the shared image information to have a different resolutionfrom the shared image information using the shared image device 101 d ofFIG. 20. The processing the at least some shared image information atleast partially at the shared image device to derive at least someprocessed shared image information that corresponds to, but has adifferent resolution than, the at least some shared image information ofoperation 1804 can include operation 1806, which can include, but is notlimited to, deriving at least one higher resolution image. For example,the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 derives at least one higherresolution image as described with respect to FIGS. 9 or 11. Theprocessing the at least some shared image information at least partiallyat the shared image device to derive at least some processed sharedimage information that corresponds to, but has a different resolutionthan, the at least some shared image information of operation 1804 caninclude operation 1808, that can include, but is not limited to,deriving at least one higher resolution image, at least in part, byemploying one or more first pixel values from one or more images withone or more second pixel values from at least one portion of an at leastone other image to at least partially derive the higher resolutionimage. For example, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 derives atleast one higher resolution image, at least in part, by employing one ormore first pixel values from one or more images with one or more secondpixel values from one other image, as described with respect to FIG. 11.The processing the at least some shared image information at leastpartially at the shared image device to derive at least some processedshared image information that corresponds to, but has a differentresolution than, the at least some shared image information of operation1804 can include operation 1810, that can include, but is not limitedto, deriving at least one higher resolution image, at least in part, byperforming a mathematical operation relative to at least some existentpixel values of one or more images to derive at least some computedpixel values. For example, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20derives at least one higher resolution image, at least in part, byperforming a mathematical operation such as pixel intensity averaging orweighting, as described with respect to FIG. 9. The processing the atleast some shared image information at least partially at the sharedimage device to derive at least some processed shared image informationthat corresponds to, but has a different resolution than, the at leastsome shared image information of operation 1804 can include operation1812, that can include, but is not limited to, deriving at least onelower resolution image. For example, the shared image device 101 d ofFIG. 20 derives at least some processed shared image information havinga lower resolution image as described with respect to FIG. 10. Theprocessing the at least some shared image information at least partiallyat the shared image device to derive at least some processed sharedimage information that corresponds to, but has a different resolutionthan, the at least some shared image information of operation 1804 caninclude operation 1813, that can include, but is not limited to,processing at least some pixel information. For example, the sharedimage device 101 d of FIG. 20 processes at least some pixel informationsuch as by using filtering, image processing, and other pixel techniquessuch as are generally understood in digital imaging processingtechnologies. See, for example, Fundamentals of Digital ImageProcessing, Anil K. Jain, Prentice Hall Information and System SciencesSeries, 1989. The processing the at least some shared image informationat least partially at the shared image device to derive at least someprocessed shared image information that corresponds to, but has adifferent resolution than, the at least some shared image information ofoperation 1804 can include operation 1814, that can include, but is notlimited to, processing at least some still-image information. Forexample, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 processes at leastsome still-image information pertaining to still-images such as capturedby digital cameras. The processing the at least some shared imageinformation at least partially at the shared image device to derive atleast some processed shared image information that corresponds to, buthas a different resolution than, the at least some shared imageinformation of operation 1804 can include operation 1816, that caninclude, but is not limited to, processing at least some moving-imageinformation. For example, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20processes at least some moving-image information pertaining tomoving-images such as captured by camcorders. The processing the atleast some shared image information at least partially at the sharedimage device to derive at least some processed shared image informationthat corresponds to, but has a different resolution than, the at leastsome shared image information of operation 1804 can include operation1818, that can include, but is not limited to, processing at least someaudio information. For example, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20processes at least some audio information. Optional operation 1820 caninclude, but is not limited to, detecting a presence of at least oneother shared image device that is interested in sharing. For example,the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 to access a presence of atleast one other shared image device 101 e that is interested in sharing.Optional operation 1822 can include, but is not limited to, producingthe at least some shared image information at the shared image device.For example, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 produces at leastsome shared image information. The order of the operations, methods,mechanisms, etc. as described with respect to FIGS. 18 a and/or 18 b areintended to be illustrative in nature, and not limited in scope.

One embodiment of a high-level flowchart of the resolution conversionmechanism 1900, which may be performed by certain embodiment of thecontroller 603, as described with respect to FIGS. 6 and/or 15, that isdescribed with respect to FIGS. 19 a and 19 b, and which includesoperations 1902 and 1924, in addition to optional operations 1920 and1922. Operation 1902 can include optional operations 1904, 1906, 1908,1910, 1911, 1912, 1914, and 1916. Operation 1924 can include optionaloperations 1930 and 1932. The high-level flowchart of FIGS. 19 a and 19b should be considered in combination with the shared image device 101,as described with respect to FIG. 20. One embodiment of operation 1902includes, but is not limited to, means for converting the resolution ofat least a portion of an image at least partially at a shared imagedevice. For example, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 convertsthe resolution of at least a portion of an image, such as described withrespect to FIGS. 9, 10, and/or 11. The means for converting theresolution of at least a portion of an image at least partially at ashared image device of operation 1902 can include operation 1904, thatcan include, but is not limited to, means for converting the at leastthe portion of the image to a higher resolution image. For example, theshared image device 101 d as described with respect to FIG. 20 can beconsidered as a means for converting the at least the portion of theimage to a higher resolution as described with respect to FIGS. 9 and11. The means for converting the resolution of at least a portion of animage at least partially at a shared image device of operation 1902 caninclude operation 1906, that can include, but is not limited to, meansfor converting the at least the portion of the image to a higherresolution image at least in part, by employing one or more first pixelvalues from one or more images with one or more second pixel values fromat least one portion of an at least one other image to at leastpartially derive the higher resolution image. For example, the sharedimage device 101 d of FIG. 20 can act as a means for converting the atleast the portion of the image to a higher resolution image, at least inpart, by employing one or more first pixel values from one or moreimages with one or more second pixel values from at least one portion ofat least one other image, as described with respect to FIG. 11. Themeans for converting the resolution of at least a portion of an image atleast partially at a shared image device of operation 1902 can includeoperation 1908, that can include, but is not limited to, means forconverting the at least the portion of the image to a higher resolutionat least in part, by performing a mathematical opreation relative to atleast some existent pixel values of one or more images to derive atleast some computed pixel values. For example, the shared image device101 d of FIG. 20 can include means for converting the at least theportion of the image to a higher resolution at least in part, byperforming a mathematical operation relative to at least some existentpixel values of one or more images to derive at least some computedpixel values, as described with respect to FIG. 9. The means forconverting the resolution of at least a portion of an image at leastpartially at a shared image device of operation 1902 can includeoperation 1910, that can include, but is not limited to, means forconverting the at least the portion of the image to a lower resolutionimage. For example, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 can includemeans for converting the at least the portion of the image to a lowerresolution as described with respect to FIG. 10. The means forconverting the resolution of at least a portion of an image at leastpartially at a shared image device of operation 1902 can includeoperation 1911, that can include, but is not limited to, means forconverting pixels from the at least the portion of the image. Forexample, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 can include means forconverting pixels from the at least the portion of the image utilizing,for example, filtering, digital signal processing, and other techniquesas described above. The means for converting the resolution of at leasta portion of an image at least partially at a shared image device ofoperation 1902 can include operation 1912, that can include, but is notlimited to, means for converting the resolution of a still-image. Forexample, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 can include means forconverting the resolution of a still-image such as can be captured by adigital camera. For example, the shared image device 101 d can includemeans for converting a still image. The means for converting theresolution of at least a portion of an image at least partially at ashared image device of operation 1902 can include operation 1914, thatcan include, but is not limited to, means for converting the resolutionof a moving-image. For example, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20can include means for converting the resolution of a moving-image suchas can be captured by a camcorder or video camera. For example, theshared image device 101 d can include means for converting theresolution of a moving-image. The means for converting the resolution ofat least a portion of an image at least partially at a shared imagedevice of operation 1902 can include operation 1916, that can include,but is not limited to, means for converting the resolution of audioinformation. For example, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 caninclude means for converting the resolution of audio information. Oneembodiment of optional operation 1920 can include, but is not limitedto, means for detecting at the shared image device a presence of atleast another shared image device that is interested in sharing. Forexample, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 detected anothershared image device 101 e that is interested in sharing. One embodimentof optional operation 1922 can include, but is not limited to, means forproducing the image information at the shared image device. For example,the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 provides a mechanism to forproducing the image information. One embodiment of the operation 1924can include, but is not limited to, the means for transferring the atleast the portion of the image with respect to the shared image device.For example, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 either transmitsthe portion of the image to, or receives the portion of the image from,the shared image device 100 h. One embodiment of the means fortransferring the at least the portion of the image with respect to theshared image device of 1924 can include, but is not limited to, meansfor transmitting the at least the portion of the image in the sharedimage device to at least one other shared image device 1930. Forexample, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 transmits the image toat least one other shared image device 101 e. One embodiment of themeans for transferring the at least the portion of the image withrespect to the shared image device of 1924 can include, but is notlimited to, means for receiving the at least the portion of the image atthe shared image device from at least one other shared image device1932. For example, the shared image device 101 d of FIG. 20 receives theimage from at least one other shared image device 101 e. The order ofthe operations, methods, mechanisms, etc. as described with respect toFIGS. 19 a and/or 19 b are intended to be illustrative in nature, andnot limited in scope.

Naming Aspects

Other embodiments of shared image devices 101 involve “naming”. A uniquename for a particular session can be associated with each of the sharedimage devices that captured at least one shared image such as a digitalcamera or camcorder. Another simpler sharing embodiment involves sharedimage devices 101 that can be pre-configurable when being built ordistributed. For example, multiple cameras can be associated with eachother such that at least some of those cameras will be able to shareand/or copy images. For example, the metadata contained in theembodiment of the local capturing portion 908, as described with respectto FIG. 24, indicates whose camera captured the image as well as thesubject of each captured shared image. In another embodiment, multiplecameras may not even require an express actuation of the sharingmechanism 102, but the sharing mechanism can be actuated by turning onat least some of the cameras concurrently. In another embodiment, theowner of the entire set of shared image devices 101 can be, for example,people getting married or the parents of the birthday party child.

In one embodiment, the shared image device 101 identifies where aparticular shared image was captured or imaged, the subject of theparticular shared image, and/or when the shared image was captured. Inone embodiment, these types of shared image information can be containedas metadata relative to the shared image device 101. As such, themetadata can be used to answer queries that may be applied to the sharedimages in the sharing session.

Naming allows a shared image device 101 to be identified to its owner,or with its user. In one embodiment, a name stored as metadata or otherinformation can include a filename and a timestamp, and anidentification of the individual shared image device (e.g., the identityname can be added as the filename). The metadata can therefore beprovided within the desired format on the shared images.

Certain new embodiments involve providing multiple shared image devices101 at a given session being provided with a synchronized timestamp. Assuch, the shared images that pertain to a particular event such as awedding can be sorted depending upon the chronology of when theyoccurred. For example, shared images that are associated with a weddingcan be chronologically categorized and separated as shared images thatoccurred prior to the wedding, during the wedding, after the wedding,during the reception, or at the bar afterwards, etc. This therefore canallow the sharing mechanism to provide an offset time, for the distinctshared image devices 101. This can act similarly to synchronizingwatches between multiple photographers, and indicating the time of eachphotograph that can be sequentially arranged.

Conclusion

This disclosure provides a number of embodiments of the sharingmechanisms that can allow images that are located on one device to betransferred to another device. Different configurations of peripheralshared image devices and/or capturing shared image devices may becombined using networking techniques. Different embodiments of thesharing mechanisms can be included in such embodiments of the sharedimage network 100 as telecommunication systems, computer systems, audiosystems, video systems, teleconferencing systems, and/or hybridcombinations of certain ones of these systems. The embodiments of theshared image devices as described with respect to this disclosure areintended to be illustrative in nature, and are not limiting its scope.

Those having skill in the art will recognize that the state of the arthas progressed to the point where there is little distinction leftbetween hardware and software implementations of aspects of systems; theuse of hardware or software is generally (but not always, in that incertain contexts the choice between hardware and software can becomesignificant) a design choice representing cost vs. efficiency tradeoffs.Those having skill in the art will appreciate that there are variousvehicles by which processes and/or systems and/or other technologiesdescribed herein can be effected (e.g., hardware, software, and/orfirmware), and that the preferred vehicle will vary with the context inwhich the processes and/or systems and/or other technologies aredeployed. For example, if an implementer determines that speed andaccuracy are paramount, the implementer may opt for mainly a hardwareand/or firmware vehicle; alternatively, if flexibility is paramount, theimplementer may opt for mainly a software implementation; or, yet againalternatively, the implementer may opt for some combination of hardware,software, and/or firmware. Hence, there are several possible vehicles bywhich the processes and/or devices and/or other technologies describedherein may be effected, none of which is inherently superior to theother in that any vehicle to be utilized is a choice dependent upon thecontext in which the vehicle will be deployed and the specific concerns(e.g., speed, flexibility, or predictability) of the implementer, any ofwhich may vary.

The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments ofthe devices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts,and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/orexamples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will beunderstood by those within the art that each function and/or operationwithin such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented,individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software,firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one embodiment,several portions of the subject matter described herein may beimplemented via Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), FieldProgrammable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), orother integrated formats. However, those skilled in the art willrecognize that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, inwhole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in standard integratedcircuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or morecomputers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computersystems), as one or more programs running on one or more processors(e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors),as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designingthe circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmwarewould be well within the skill of one of skill in the art in light ofthis disclosure. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capableof being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, andthat an illustrative embodiment of the subject matter described hereinapplies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearingmedia used to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signalbearing media include, but are not limited to, the following: recordabletype media such as floppy disks, hard disk drives, CD ROMs, digitaltape, and computer memory; and transmission type media such as digitaland analog communication links using TDM or IP based communication links(e.g., packet links).

All of the above U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications,U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applicationsand non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/orlisted in any Application Data Sheet, are incorporated herein byreference, in their entireties.

The herein described aspects depict different components containedwithin, or connected with, different other components. It is to beunderstood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, andthat in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achievethe same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement ofcomponents to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated”such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any twocomponents herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can beseen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionalityis achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components.Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being“operably connected”, “operably linked”, or “operably coupled”, to eachother to achieve the desired functionality, and any two componentscapable of being so associated can also be viewed as being “operablycouplable”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specificexamples of operably couplable include but are not limited to physicallymateable and/or physically interacting components and/or wirelesslyinteractable and/or wirelessly interacting components and/or logicallyinteracting and/or logically interactable components.

It is to be understood by those skilled in the art that, in general,that the terms used in the disclosure, including the drawings and theappended claims (and especially as used in the bodies of the appendedclaims), are generally intended as “open” terms. For example, the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to”; theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least”; and the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes, but is not limited to”;etc. In this disclosure and the appended claims, the terms “a”, “the”,and “at least one” located prior to one or more items are intended toapply inclusively to either one or a plurality of those items.

Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “atleast one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a constructionis intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understandthe convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C”would include but not be limited to systems that could have A alone, Balone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together,and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where aconvention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, ingeneral such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill inthe art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at leastone of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems thatcould have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and Ctogether, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.).

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the herein-describedspecific exemplary processes and/or devices and/or technologies arerepresentative of more general processes and/or devices and/ortechnologies taught elsewhere herein, such as in the claims filedherewith and/or elsewhere in the present application.

Within this disclosure, elements that perform similar functions in asimilar way in different embodiments may be provided with the same orsimilar numerical reference characters in the figures.

1. A method, comprising: processing image information at least partiallyat a shared image device to at least partially derive processed imageinformation, wherein the image information corresponds to, but has adifferent resolution than, the processed image information; andtransmitting the processed image information from the shared imagedevice to effect sharing the processed image information.
 2. The methodof claim 1, wherein the processing image information at least partiallyat a shared image device to at least partially derive processed imageinformation comprises: converting the image information to a higherresolution image to at least partially derive the processed imageinformation.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing imageinformation at least partially at a shared image device to at leastpartially derive processed image information comprises: converting theimage information to a higher resolution image to at least partiallyderive the processed image information, at least in part, by employingone or more first pixel values from one or more images with one or moresecond pixel values from at least one portion of an at least one otherimage to at least partially derive the higher resolution image.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the processing image information at leastpartially at a shared image device to at least partially deriveprocessed image information comprises: converting the image informationto a higher resolution image to at least partially derive the processedimage information, at least in part, by performing a mathematicaloperation relative to at least some existent pixel values of one or moreimages to derive at least some computed pixel values.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the processing image information at least partially ata shared image device to at least partially derive processed imageinformation comprises: converting the image information to a lowerresolution image to at least partially derive the processed imageinformation.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing imageinformation at least partially at a shared image device to at leastpartially derive processed image information comprises: processing atleast some pixel information.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein theprocessing image information at least partially at a shared image deviceto at least partially derive processed image information comprises:processing at least some still-image information.
 8. The method of claim1, wherein the processing image information at least partially at ashared image device to at least partially derive processed imageinformation comprises: processing at least some moving-imageinformation.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing imageinformation at least partially at a shared image device to at leastpartially derive processed image information comprises: processing atleast some audio information.
 10. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: detecting at the shared image device a presence of at leastanother shared image device that is capable of sharing.
 11. (canceled)12. A method, comprising: receiving at least some shared imageinformation at a shared image device; processing the at least someshared image information at least partially at the shared image deviceto derive at least some processed shared image information thatcorresponds to, but has a different resolution than, the at least someshared image information.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein theprocessing the at least some shared image information at least partiallyat the shared image device to derive at least some processed sharedimage information that corresponds to, but has a different resolutionthan, the at least some shared image information comprises: deriving atleast one higher resolution image.
 14. The method of claim 12, whereinthe processing the at least some shared image information at leastpartially at the shared image device to derive at least some processedshared image information that corresponds to, but has a differentresolution than, the at least some shared image information comprises:deriving at least one higher resolution image, at least in part, byemploying one or more first pixel values from one or more images withone or more second pixel values from at least one portion of an at leastone other image to at least partially derive the higher resolutionimage.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the processing the at leastsome shared image information at least partially at the shared imagedevice to derive at least some processed shared image information thatcorresponds to, but has a different resolution than, the at least someshared image information comprises: deriving at least one higherresolution image, at least in part, by performing a mathematicaloperation relative to at least some existent pixel values of one or moreimages to derive at least some computed pixel values.
 16. The method ofclaim 12, wherein the processing the at least some shared imageinformation at least partially at the shared image device to derive atleast some processed shared image information that corresponds to, buthas a different resolution than, the at least some shared imageinformation comprises: deriving at least one lower resolution image. 17.The method of claim 12, wherein the processing the at least some sharedimage information at least partially at the shared image device toderive at least some processed shared image information that correspondsto, but has a different resolution than, the at least some shared imageinformation comprises: processing at least some pixel information. 18.(canceled)
 19. (canceled)
 20. The method of claim 12, wherein theprocessing the at least some shared image information at least partiallyat the shared image device to derive at least some processed sharedimage information that corresponds to, but has a different resolutionthan, the at least some shared image information comprises: processingat least some audio information.
 21. The method of claim 12, furthercomprising: detecting a presence of at least one other shared imagedevice that is interested in sharing.
 22. The method of claim 12,further comprising: producing the at least some shared image informationat the shared image device.
 23. A first shared image device comprising:an image capture portion configurable to capture at least a portion ofan at least one image; a resolution conversion portion configurable toconvert a resolution of the at least the portion of the at least oneimage; and a sharing portion configurable to transfer the at least theportion of the at least one image at the first shared image device withrespect to a second shared image device.
 24. The first shared imagedevice of claim 23, wherein the sharing portion configurable to transferthe at least the portion of the at least one image at the first sharedimage device with respect to a second shared image device comprises: atransfer portion configurable to transfer the at least the portion ofthe at least one image at the first shared image device in a manner thatcan be received by the second shared image device.
 25. The first sharedimage device of claim 23, wherein the sharing portion configurable totransfer the at least the portion of the at least one image at the firstshared image device with respect to a second shared image devicecomprises: a receiving portion configurable to receive the at least theportion of the at least one image at the first shared image device in amanner that can be transmitted by the second shared image device. 26.The first shared image device of claim 23, wherein the resolutionconversion portion configurable to convert a resolution of the at leastthe portion of the at least one image comprises: a higher resolutionconversion portion configurable to convert the at least the portion ofthe at least one image to a higher resolution.
 27. The first sharedimage device of claim 23, wherein the resolution conversion portionconfigurable to convert a resolution of the at least the portion of theat least one image comprises: a lower resolution conversion portionconfigurable to convert the at least the portion of the at least oneimage to a lower resolution.
 28. The first shared image device of claim23, wherein the image capture portion configurable to capture at least aportion of an at least one image comprises: a single image captureportion of the first shared image device configurable to capture atleast one still image.
 29. The first shared image device of claim 23,wherein the image capture portion configurable to capture at least aportion of an at least one image comprises: a motion image captureportion of the first shared image device configurable to capture atleast one motion image.
 30. The first shared image device of claim 23,wherein the first shared image device comprises: a digital camera. 31.The first shared image device of claim 23, wherein the first sharedimage device comprises: a camcorder.
 32. The first shared image deviceof claim 23, wherein the first shared image device further comprises: animage conversion energy indicator operatively coupled to the firstshared image device configurable to indicate whether the first sharedimage device has a sufficient energy, based at least in part on anenergy level of the first shared image device, to convert the resolutionof the at least the portion of the at least one image.
 33. The firstshared image device of claim 23, wherein the first shared image devicecomprises: an image capturing operating device configurable to operatean image capturing device.
 34. The first shared image device of claim23, wherein the first shared image device comprises: an image editingdevice configurable to edit images.
 35. (canceled)
 36. A system,comprising: means for converting a resolution of at least a portion ofan image at least partially at a shared image device; and means fortransferring the at least the portion of the image at the shared imagedevice with respect to at least one other shared image device.
 37. Thesystem of claim 36, wherein the means for transferring the at least theportion of the image at the shared image device with respect to at leastone other shared image device comprises: means for transmitting the atleast the portion of the image at the shared image device to at leastone other shared image device.
 38. The system of claim 36, wherein themeans for transferring the at least the portion of the image at theshared image device with respect to at least one other shared imagedevice comprises: means for receiving the at least the portion of theimage at the shared image device from at least one other shared imagedevice.
 39. The system of claim 36, wherein the means for converting aresolution of at least a portion of an image at least partially at ashared image device comprises: means for converting the at least theportion of the image to a higher resolution image.
 40. The system ofclaim 36, wherein the means for converting a resolution of at least aportion of an image at least partially at a shared image devicecomprises: means for converting the at least the portion of the image toa higher resolution image at least in part, by employing one or morefirst pixel values from one or more images with one or more second pixelvalues from at least one portion of an at least one other image to atleast partially derive the higher resolution image.
 41. The system ofclaim 36, wherein the means for converting a resolution of at least aportion of an image at least partially at a shared image devicecomprises: means for converting the at least the portion of the image toa higher resolution at least in part, by performing a mathematicaloperation relative to at least some existent pixel values of one or moreimages to derive at least some computed pixel values.
 42. The system ofclaim 36, wherein the means for converting a resolution of at least aportion of an image at least partially at a shared image devicecomprises: means for converting the at least the portion of the image toa lower resolution image.
 43. The system of claim 36, wherein the meansfor converting a resolution of at least a portion of an image at leastpartially at a shared image device comprises: means for convertingpixels from the at least the portion of the image.
 44. (canceled) 45.(canceled)
 46. (canceled)
 47. The system of claim 36, furthercomprising: means for detecting at the shared image device a presence ofat least another shared image device that is interested in sharing. 48.(canceled)
 49. Circuitry for processing, comprising: aresolution-transforming portion configurable to change a resolution at ashared image device of at least a portion of an image; and atransferring portion configurable to transfer the at least the portionof the image from the shared image device to effect sharing the image.50. The circuitry of claim 49, further comprising: an image conversionenergy indicator portion configurable to indicate whether the sharedimage device has a sufficient energy, based at least in part on anenergy level of the shared image device, to change the resolution at theshared image device of the at least the portion of the image.
 51. Thecircuitry of claim 49, further comprising: an image capturing operatingdevice portion configurable to operate an image capturing device.